The Japanese voted Sunday for the governing coalition in upper house elections in a partial election result that was marred by the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a campaign rally in the country’s west.
The ruling coalition within the Liberal Democratic Party (right-wing nationalists), to which Abe and his ally Komeito belong, is likely to win about 83 seats out of 125 who voted for the extension Sunday, according to the expectations of the public channel NHK. to be held every three years, including half of the 248 seats in the Senate as a whole.
At 18:00 (0900 GMT), two hours before the polls closed, turnout was 27.38%, slightly higher than in previous Senate elections.
The current Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, condemned the “barbaric” attack on his political mentor Abe, stressing the importance of “protecting free and fair elections, which form the basis of democracy.”
“We will never succumb to violence,” he stressed.
The assassination of Abe, one of the most famous politicians in the archipelago, who ruled the country for more than eight years, shocked Japan and abroad and drew condolences from around the world, including from China and South Korea, whose relations with Japan often escalate. tense.
After various parties briefly halted news of Abe’s assassination, the campaign resumed on Saturday amid tight security measures as police in the Nara area acknowledged “undeniable” security breaches during a campaign rally in which Abe participated. .
The election is dominated by local concerns about rising prices and risks associated with electricity supplies in light of the heat wave that has affected Japan since late June, raising fears of power outages.
In a country often criticized for poor representation of women in its institutions and in the leadership of its companies, this year’s elections were marked by a record participation rate of 33% of women out of 545 candidates.
In the event that he achieves a major victory in the Senate elections, current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will be able to consolidate his power after calling for an economic policy that includes a more equitable distribution of wealth, which he called “new capitalism.” “, at the gates of the three-year phase, which does not include any voting rights.
Source: AFP.