Abe poised for victory as voters battle through wind and rain in Japan election

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Credit: Akio Kon/Bloomberg

Japan’s ruling conservative party was on track to win a landslide victory in Sunday’s elections according to early exit polls, paving the way for the prime minister Shinzo Abe to pursue his goal of revising the post-war constitution.

More than 100 million Japanese braved strong winds, heavy rains and widespread travel chaos from an approaching typhoon to vote from 1,200 candidates vying for 465 seats in the powerful lower house of parliament.

Shortly after polls closed at 8pm local time, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was projected to achieve a comfortable majority, according to exit polls from the state broadcaster NHK and TBS Television, prompting expectations it will retain its two-thirds “super majority” with its coalition partner.

Such a victory would be a major boost for Mr Abe, who came to office in 2012 amid promises of bolstering Japan’s defence and rebooting the economy with his so-called policies of "Abenomics".

A girl stands next to her father filling out his ballot in Tokyo
A girl stands next to her father filling out his ballot in Tokyo Credit: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

It also shows that Mr Abe’s high stakes gamble of calling for a snap election – and his promise to resign if his party failed to meet a majority – appears to have paid off after a turbulent few weeks in Japanese politics.

Mr Abe’s projected win – which paves the way for him becoming Japan’s longest serving post-war PM – will give him a fresh mandate to pursue his strong stance against North Korea and continue with his efforts to revitalise a stagnant economy.

His victory will also add momentum to his controversial goal of amending Japan’s pacifist constitution and in particular redefining the role of the Self-Defence Forces in Article 9, which he aims to implement by 2020.

A powerful typhoon barrelled toward Japan on Sunday, with heavy rain triggering landslides
A powerful typhoon barrelled toward Japan on Sunday, with heavy rain triggering landslides Credit: KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images

The current insecurity surrounding North Korea’s nuclear and missile programme is also believed to have fuelled an underlying conservatism among many voters.

“The situation in the world is not stable in many aspects and I believe the LDP is the only party to rely on,” said Kyoko Ichida, 78, after voting in Tokyo.

Yoshihisa Iemori, 50, a construction firm owner, added: “I support Abe's stance not to give in to North Korea's pressure. I'm focusing on this point for the election.”

It was late last month that Mr Abe, a deeply divisive PM, announced that he was dissolving parliament and holding an early election, seeking a new mandate to tackle the “crises” facing Japan, from North Korea’s nuclear programme to post-Fukushima nuclear policy.

Yuriko Koike, governor of Tokyo and head of the Party of Hope
Yuriko Koike, governor of Tokyo and head of the Party of Hope Credit: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images

However, his announcement triggered a dramatic shift in Japan’s normally stable political landscape. First was the sudden emergence of new opposition in the form of Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike’s Party of Hope (Kibo no To), promising bold reform balanced with a conservative ethos.

The populist party’s pledges included a goal of eliminating nuclear power in Japan by 2030 and a delay to an unpopular consumer tax hike due to take effect in 2019.

In an unusual twist, the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), then publicly urged members to run as Party of Hope candidates, effectively securing the demise of the main opposition.

However, the Party of Hope appeared to lose its momentum when Ms Koike, long been touted as a possible first female prime minister, confirmed she was not running as a candidate.

Meanwhile, more liberal members of the DPJ subsequently regrouped to form the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, with a sudden upsurge in support making it a keen contender for the top opposition spot alongside Party of Hope.

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