Japan Ruling LDP Claims Historic Win in Lower House Election

Tokyo, Feb. 9 (Jiji Press)--Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party secured a historic landslide victory in Sunday's House of Representatives election, winning 316 seats to occupy a standalone two-thirds majority of the 465 seats in the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament.

This marked the first time in Japan's postwar history that a single party has secured a two-thirds majority in the Lower House. The number of LDP seats--the combined total of single-seat constituency seats and proportional representation seats--is up from 198 just before the Jan. 27 start of the official campaign period for the general election.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, president of the LDP, is all but certain to be re-elected leader of the country at a special Diet session likely to be convened possibly Feb. 18 and then will form her second cabinet.

The LDP overwhelmingly attained a so-called absolute stable majority, which means that the party will be able to secure the post of chair at the 17 standing committees of the Lower House and command a majority in all of the committees.

Meanwhile, the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance suffered a crushing defeat, clinching only 49 seats, down by more than 70 pct from 172 just before the start of the official campaign period. Its co-leaders, Yoshihiko Noda and Tetsuo Saito, expressed their intention to resign, taking responsibility for the defeat. An election to pick its new leader will be held.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]