Calls for Japan's Leader to Resign as His Party Faces Election Defeat
The vote for the less powerful Upper House of the bicameral Diet, as Japan's Parliament is called, was being closely watched as a referendum on the governing party and its leader, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Under Mr. Ishiba, the Liberal Democrats have struggled to deal with a variety of issues, including the rising price of rice, a backlash against increased immigration and the threat of tariffs from Washington.
After voting ended, exit polls showed the Liberal Democrats and their coalition partner unlikely to hold on to the 50 seats of their 66 up for re-election that they needed to retain control of the chamber. As many as two-thirds of the 124 seats up for re-election appeared set to go to a host of opposition parties spread across the political spectrum.
Even as ballots were still being counted in dozens of close-fought races, powerful members of the governing party were already calling for Mr. Ishiba to step down to take responsibility for what seemed to be a poor showing. Taro Aso, a former deputy prime minister, said he 'couldn't accept' Mr. Ishiba staying on as prime minister, Japan's TV Asahi reported.
While Mr. Ishiba said in a television interview on Sunday that his party had not done well, he said he wanted to continue as leader because he still had 'important duties to fulfill for the nation.'
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Japanese Yen Remains 'Very Attractive Currency,' Invesco's Chao Says
David Chao of Invesco says the results of Japan's upper-house election "were largely expected by the markets." He tells Bloomberg Television that "all eyes are very much on the trade deal now between Japan and the US." Chao also says the Japanese yen continues to be an "attractive currency" and could be "one of the best performing currencies in the next 12 months." Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Japan's Ishiba vows to stay on after election defeat
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition has failed to secure a majority in Sunday's election for the 248-seat upper house of parliament, Japan's public NHK TV outlet said. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), already in a minority in the lower house since last October's snap election, faced mounting public discontent over inflation, political scandals, and a surge in anti-immigration sentiment. LDP, Komeito fall short in upper house The LDP and its junior partner Komeito needed to win 50 of the 125 contested seats, on top of the 75 seats they already have. They fell short, however, getting only 46 of the seats up for grabs. In recent years, such an electoral defeat has usually led to a prime minister's resignation. Ishiba, however, vowed to stay on in order to lead Japan through the difficult terrain of striking a trade deal with the US in the face of looming tariffs. "We are engaged in extremely critical tariff negotiations with the United must never ruin these negotiations," he told a press conference after vowing to stay on as party leader through the trade talks. The loss is another blow to Ishiba's coalition, making it a minority in both houses following its October defeat in the lower house election, It is the first time the LDP has lost a majority in both houses of parliament since the party's foundation in 1955. The poor performance in the election will not immediately trigger a change of government because the upper house lacks the power to file a no-confidence motion against a leader. Despite his determination to stay on, Ishiba could face calls from within his party to step down or find another coalition partner. Rise of the 'Japanese First' party The surge of the right-wing populist Sanseito party complicated the election. Once a fringe movement, spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and global elites during the COVID-19 pandemic on YouTube, the party is now gaining momentum with its "Japanese First" rhetoric and criticism of immigration, globalism, and foreign capital. Sanseito is expected to win 14 seats in the upper house, appealing especially to young male voters. Its leader, Sohei Kamiya, has drawn comparisons to Trump and Germany's AfD for his anti-establishment stance and social media reach. On Sunday, a Sanseito candidate's interview by Russia's Sputnik news agency courted controversy and prompt denials of ties to Russia by Kamiya, according to AFP news agency. The European Union has banned Sputnik along with other Russian state media for "disinformation and information manipulation." Edited by: Alex Berry, Wesley Dockery
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Bloomberg Daybreak Asia: Japan's Ishiba Vows to Stay Put; Fed's Path Ahead
The yen recouped some of last week's losses as investors weighed the extent of the defeat suffered by Japan's ruling coalition in the weekend's upper-house election. Asian stock markets edged down. Japan's currency had dropped for two weeks and bond yields spiked ahead of the vote on concern a poor showing by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba would open the door to more spending and tax cuts. While the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its partner lost their majority in the chamber, their final tally may be enough to keep Ishiba in the job. We get reaction from Shuntaro Takeuchi, Portfolio Manager at Matthews Asia. Plus - Donald Trump is struggling to get the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, but policymakers around the world won't need so much convincing. The US president's tariff onslaught is likely to force further measured easing in coming months by most of the 23 central banks featured in this quarterly guide on the global monetary outlook, according to Bloomberg Economics. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller hinted he would dissent if his colleagues vote to hold interest rates steady at their July meeting, making his case for a rate cut to support the labor market. We take a look at the Fed's path ahead with Clayton Triick, Head of Portfolio Management, Public Strategies, at Angel Oak Capital.
