Shinzo Abe’s ruling coalition wins majority in Japan

22 October, Tokyo

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, have secured enough seats to maintain what is known as an absolute stable majority. It will allow the parties to maneuver legislation through the chamber smoothly.

The governing coalition has passed the threshold of 261 seats. With an absolute stable majority, it will have the ability to chair all standing committees and fill a majority of seats.

The majority is vital to  Abe’s ambition to revise Japan’s post-war, pacifist constitution. Article 9 of the Constitution, enacted by the country’s American occupiers in 1947, calls for the complete renunciation of war. Japan has worked around the rule by stating that its army exists for the purposes of defence, but  Abe has long made it clear that he wishes to revise it.

The election raises Abe’s chances of securing a third three-year-term as leader of the LDP when the party votes next September. That would give him the opportunity to become Japan’s longest serving Prime Minister, having been elected in 2012.

Japan went to the polls today as Typhoon Lan lashed parts of the country. Abe called the election early amid rebounding approval ratings and disarray among the opposition.