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Japan Launches Campaigning for February 8 Snap Election
(MENAFN) Japan launched official campaigning Tuesday for its February 8 snap general election, placing all 465 House of Representatives seats in play during what marks the nation's shortest postwar campaign period.
The central question dominating the race: Can the governing coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Japan Innovation Party (JIP) maintain majority control to sustain Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration, or will opposition forces gain enough ground to derail that outcome?
The lower house's 465 seats break down into 289 single-member constituency positions and 176 proportional representation slots distributed across 11 regional zones. National broadcaster NHK projects over 1,200 candidates will enter the contest.
NHK anticipates fierce campaign clashes centered on the Takaichi government's handling of rising prices, alongside debates over foreign relations and national security strategy.
The LDP previously controlled 199 lower house positions, with coalition partner JIP holding 34. During Monday's party leaders' debate, Takaichi—who simultaneously serves as LDP president—pledged immediate resignation should the ruling alliance fail to capture a majority.
The newly established Centrist Reform Alliance, officially formed this month, has emerged as Japan's primary opposition force with 165 lower house members. This fresh coalition uniting the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito—a former LDP partner—seeks to topple the conservative governing bloc.
On January 23, Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives for a snap election, representing the first such dissolution at a regular parliamentary session's opening in six decades.
Critics have blasted the move for allowing voters minimal time to evaluate competing platforms, with the 12-day campaign window establishing Japan's briefest postwar election period.
Opposition parties have condemned Takaichi's strategy, accusing her of prioritizing political calculations over parliament's passage of the initial fiscal 2026 budget—set to begin in April—despite her promises to emphasize policy execution.
Japan's House of Representatives operates under a hybrid electoral framework merging single-member districts with proportional representation. Voters receive two ballots: one selecting a candidate in their single-seat district, the other choosing a party for proportional allocation.
The central question dominating the race: Can the governing coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Japan Innovation Party (JIP) maintain majority control to sustain Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration, or will opposition forces gain enough ground to derail that outcome?
The lower house's 465 seats break down into 289 single-member constituency positions and 176 proportional representation slots distributed across 11 regional zones. National broadcaster NHK projects over 1,200 candidates will enter the contest.
NHK anticipates fierce campaign clashes centered on the Takaichi government's handling of rising prices, alongside debates over foreign relations and national security strategy.
The LDP previously controlled 199 lower house positions, with coalition partner JIP holding 34. During Monday's party leaders' debate, Takaichi—who simultaneously serves as LDP president—pledged immediate resignation should the ruling alliance fail to capture a majority.
The newly established Centrist Reform Alliance, officially formed this month, has emerged as Japan's primary opposition force with 165 lower house members. This fresh coalition uniting the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito—a former LDP partner—seeks to topple the conservative governing bloc.
On January 23, Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives for a snap election, representing the first such dissolution at a regular parliamentary session's opening in six decades.
Critics have blasted the move for allowing voters minimal time to evaluate competing platforms, with the 12-day campaign window establishing Japan's briefest postwar election period.
Opposition parties have condemned Takaichi's strategy, accusing her of prioritizing political calculations over parliament's passage of the initial fiscal 2026 budget—set to begin in April—despite her promises to emphasize policy execution.
Japan's House of Representatives operates under a hybrid electoral framework merging single-member districts with proportional representation. Voters receive two ballots: one selecting a candidate in their single-seat district, the other choosing a party for proportional allocation.
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