Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s conservative ruling camp suffered a devastating defeat in upper house elections on Sunday, but the 52-year-old conservative insisted he would stay in his post despite the drubbing.
“I am determined to carry out my promises although the situation is severe,’’ Abe said, after acknowledging that he was responsible for the huge loss.
‘’We need to restore the people’s trust in the country and the government,’’ a weary and drawn-looking Abe told reporters.
Voters angry after a string of government scandals and gaffes and the bungling of pension records stripped Abe’s coalition of its upper house majority in his first big electoral test since taking office 10 months ago. Abe’s coalition will not be ousted from government by a loss in the upper house, since it has a huge majority in the more powerful lower chamber, which elects the premier.
But, with the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan winning control of the upper house, laws will be hard to enact, threatening policy deadlock.
Discuss issues
“We need to discuss issues closely with the Democratic Party in the upper house and listen to them when necessary,’’ said Abe, after placing a few red rosettes marking the LDP’s scarce victories on a results board at his party’s headquarters.
With eight seats left to be decided, public broadcaster NHK said the LDP and its partner, New Komeito, had won 42 seats, lagging the Democrats on 59.
The coalition needed 64 to keep their majority in the upper house, where half of the 242 seats were up for grabs.
The LDP alone was certain to win fewer than 40 seats, media projections showed, worse than a loss in 1998 that forced Ryutaro Hashimoto to resign as prime minister.
Critics say Abe, who pledged to boost Japan’s security profile, rewrite its pacifist constitution and nurture patriotism in schools, was out of touch with voters.
“Abe has projects like revising the constitution, but people’s everyday lives should come first,’’ said Hirofumi Nemoto, a newspaper seller in Chiba.