Japan’s Upper House Election Poses Major Test for PM Ishiba’s Coalition
The Japanese people were voting Sunday for seats in the smaller of Japan’s two parliamentary houses in a key election with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his ruling coalition facing a possible defeat that could worsen the country’s political instability.
Voters were deciding half of the 248 seats in the upper house, the less powerful of the two chambers in Japan’s Diet. Early results were expected Sunday night.
The polls will close at 8 pm (1100GMT), and the results are expected late Sunday.
A record 21.4 million people, or 20.58% of total voters, already cast their ballots by Friday according to the early voting system.
The ruling coalition, comprising Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner Komeito, currently holds 75 seats, but to maintain a majority in the upper house, it needs to win at least 50 seats from the 125 up for grabs.
The election is taking place under the spotlight of key issues, including rising prices, regional security, ties with the US, foreign policy as well as the future of the country’s strained social security system.
