Tokyo, 8 July, /AJMEDIA/
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party was reeling in shock on Monday following its defeat in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly by-elections the previous day, with lawmakers worried about the repercussions with a national election looming.
Former reconstruction minister Katsuei Hirasawa, a ninth-term House of Representatives lawmaker from a constituency in Tokyo, described the election result as a “crushing defeat” and emphasized for the need to take “drastic reforms” for the party.
The LDP, led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, managed to secure only two seats in Sunday’s metropolitan assembly by-elections among the eight districts where the party fielded its own candidates. Nine districts across Tokyo were being contested, and before the polls, the party aimed to get at least four slots.
The result is set to take a heavy toll on Kishida, who seeks a reelection in the party’s leadership race in September, as a political funds scandal has eroded public trust in the party and sent support for his Cabinet to its lowest levels since it was launched in October 2021.
The LDP has come under intense scrutiny amid allegations that some of its factions, including the biggest one formerly headed by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, neglected to report portions of their income from fundraising parties and created slush funds.
In contrast, the Tokyo gubernatorial election win by incumbent Gov. Yuriko Koike was positive news for the LDP. With the effective backing of the LDP, Koike secured a third consecutive four-year term in the election held also on Sunday, ending a winning streak in recent elections for the main opposition party.
Nonetheless, the LDP vowed to do its utmost to restore public trust.
Yuko Obuchi, the LDP’s election campaign chief, said in a statement that the party “took seriously” the dismal results of the metropolitan assembly by-elections and pledged to promote political reforms.
Among the eight districts, the LDP lost in Hachioji, which is the hometown of former industry minister Koichi Hagiuda, a key member of the Abe faction. Abe was fatally shot during a stump speech just two years ago.
The next general election must be held by October 2025, when the current four-year terms for lower house members expire.
Regarding the outlook for the national election, a senior LDP lawmaker warned that the party may face a “devastating outcome.”
Hiroshi Ogushi, head of the election strategy committee of the leading opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said the LDP has been facing headwinds from the slush funds scandal.
But the CDPJ itself has not fared well in the gubernatorial election. Following its wins in three lower house by-elections in April, the party had been aiming to expand its support base to seize power from the LDP.
Renho, who served as a CDPJ lawmaker before running for Tokyo governor, failed to secure second place and was defeated by Shinji Ishimaru, a social media-savvy former mayor from Hiroshima Prefecture.
© KYODO
