The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Japan’s ruling party, faces its most significant challenge in over a decade as it heads into Sunday’s parliamentary election, The Associated Press reports.
Plagued by corruption scandals and a decline in public support, the LDP is facing a potential loss of seats and a possible failure to reach Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s targets for his ruling coalition.
Ishiba, who assumed office just this month, called for the election in a bid to use his image as a reformer to quell voter discontent. However, despite the recent controversies, the LDP is unlikely to lose power completely. The party has dominated Japanese politics since 1955, with only two brief periods of opposition rule in 1993-1994 and 2009-2012, both following bribery scandals.
The LDP’s strength lies in its vast network of support, spanning across the bureaucracy, business sector, and regional leaders. While the opposition has gained some traction in urban areas, the LDP maintains a firm grip on rural areas, utilizing its control over government subsidies to maintain loyalty.
The party’s dominance is further amplified by the current electoral system, which combines single-seat districts with proportional representation. This allows the LDP to concentrate resources on a single candidate per district, giving them a considerable advantage over their opposition rivals.
While the LDP grapples with scandals, the opposition remains fractured and unable to present a unified front. The liberal-leaning Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), led by former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, is hoping to capitalize on the LDP’s vulnerabilities. Noda has shifted the party’s stance towards a more conservative approach to attract swing voters, emphasizing that “a change of government is the most effective political reform.”
