Japan’s Ruling Coalition Suffers Upper House Setback

(MENAFN) Japan’s governing alliance has relinquished its majority in the nation’s upper chamber, yet Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has declared he has no intention of stepping down.

The recent election, held on Sunday, reflected widespread public dissatisfaction with the coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior ally Komeito, particularly due to soaring living costs and the looming threat of tariffs from the United States.

Following the conclusion of the vote, the prime minister acknowledged the result by stating he "solemnly" accepts the "harsh result," while reaffirming his commitment to ongoing trade discussions.

Despite the loss, Ishiba emphasized that his attention remains fixed on economic negotiations rather than resignation.

This defeat adds to the coalition’s recent political troubles, as it had already lost dominance in Japan’s more influential lower house the previous year.

With only 47 seats secured out of the 50 required to maintain control of the 248-member upper chamber, the ruling bloc's authority is now significantly weakened.

The Constitutional Democratic Party, Japan’s primary opposition force, secured 22 seats, placing it in second position. Sunday’s vote determined half of the seats in the upper house, with each member serving a term of six years.

According to a news agency, Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer in Japanese Studies at Kanda University of International Studies, noted that the emergence of more right-leaning parties has eroded the LDP’s traditional conservative base, further impacting its performance at the polls.

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