Japan’s parliamentary election: Why it matters
Al Jazeera
Japanese voters go to the polls after new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called a snap election. The outcome could strengthen him, or further weaken the governing LDP.
Voters in Japan head to the polls on Sunday to elect members of their House of Representatives in an election seen as a test for the country’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
With Ishiba’s governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) embroiled in scandals and facing diminishing public support, the vote is expected to present the party with its toughest electoral challenge in more than a decade.
While the result may be seen as a measure of public endorsement of or displeasure with Ishiba, the election is not likely to see his LDP – which has maintained a tight grip on power in Japan since 1955 – fall too far from its pedestal.
Analysts expect the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) to gain significant ground, but not enough to change the government. The LDP, they predict, may lose a few dozen seats. But even in a worst-case scenario, the party will still likely be number one in the ruling bloc.
Here’s what you should know about Japan’s election:
