TOKYO, Feb 9 (QNA/APP): Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae secured a historic victory in the Lower House election held on Sunday.
Japan’s NHK News reported that the Liberal Democratic Party secured 316 seats, surpassing a 261-seat absolute majority in the 465-member lower house
This figure is a record since the party’s establishment in 1955, exceeding the previous record of 300 seats achieved by the late Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone in 1986. With its new ally, the Japan Innovation Party, winning 36 seats, Takaichi’s ruling coalition secured a total of 352 seats.
Following her sweeping victory, Takaichi said in statements that she is now ready to move forward with policies aimed at making Japan strong and prosperous, stressing that she will seek to gain support from the opposition while firmly pursuing her policy goals.
Takaichi, the first woman to serve as Japan’s prime minister, had announced on Jan. 19 the dissolution of parliament and the call for early elections, capitalizing on high public approval that reached around 70% according to recent opinion polls.