Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in a historic landslide victory secured more than a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives in weekend snap elections, enabling Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to push ahead with her conservative policy agenda, local media reported Monday.
The LDP and its coalition partner the Japan Innovation Party (JIP) won 354 seats in the 465-member lower house, setting the stage for Takaichi to stay on as prime minister after taking office last October, Kyodo news agency reported.
The LDP has also become the first party in postwar Japan to cross the two-thirds majority line of 310 seats in the lower house.
This means it can move toward amending the constitution and enact bills even if they are rejected by the House of Councilors, where the ruling coalition remains in a minority.
“We bear an extremely heavy responsibility to focus on steadily delivering on the campaign pledges we have made,” Takaichi told state broadcaster NHK.
Opposition parties in total were only able to secure 111 seats compared to 230 in the previous house.
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Prime Minister Takaichi, wishing her “great success in passing your Conservative, Peace Through Strength Agenda” in a social media post.
