Japan: PM Fumio Kishida’s Future is in Dire Straits as LDP Could Lose Majority in General Election

Last updated on October 29th, 2021 at 04:07 am

Japan -The polls suggest that Japan’s new PM, Fumio Kishida’s dream to serve office long term could be short-lived as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) might lose its majority in the upcoming general election. This could lead to a situation of political uncertainty.

A survey conducted by the Yomiuri daily predicted that the LDP would reach the more significant part yet may miss the mark. The Asahi daily polls also foretold that the party might lose seats but reach well above 233.

However, filling the shoes of former PM Yoshihide Suga won’t be an easy task for Kishida as he will be taking care of a stagnant economy hit by the Covid pandemic, the remainder of a major public health crisis, and expanded political manipulation by China. 

The LDP, which has governed Japan for most of the post-war time, will probably remain in power because of its alliance with Komeito, even though it’s pretty inevitable to suffer seats in parliament’s lower house. 

Senior personnel of the Center for American Progress, Tobias Harris, tweeted that “If Kishida wins in the general election and is able to win the upper house polls in 2022, he will be able to serve as PM for three years without facing an election.

If Kishida gets majority votes in the general election, his first task will be to retain Coronavirus cases low in numbers and free the world’s third-greatest economy from the pandemic. 

The majority of voters are frustrated with the pandemic restrictions and their aftermaths. In order to counter those, Kishida would need to win the citizens’ confidence by trying to bring back a normal life. Moreover, prevent a fresh outbreak and overwhelming of hospitals in winter. However, the emphasis stays on whether the LDP can cling to more seats without help from anyone else.