PM Abe likely to be victorious in snap elections

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his coalition are likely to win a majority in the snap elections of Sunday. Voting for these snap polls began at 7 in the morning and people are voting for Japan’s lower house National Diet, consisting of 475 seats.

[Image Source: Reuters]

The National Diet is Japan’s bicameral legislature, composed of a lower house that is called the House of Representatives, and an upper house called the House of Councillors.

The coalition of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to win a majority. The poll projections made by Japanese media too, predicted a clear victory for Liberal Democratic Party of which Shinzo Abe is the president.

According to a Reuters report, together, the LDP and its junior partner are forecast to keep their two-thirds “super-majority”. PM Abe has made some really positive promises to the people of Japan and has highlighted that his ‘Abenomics’ strategy can lead to the progress of Japan and improve the economy.

PM Abe, according to Jiji Press, has has touted growth in jobs and wages as key achievements of Abenomics and called for voters to support his bid to stick with the existing policy line, claiming, “This is the only avenue (to economic prosperity).”

Democratic Party, the main opposition party has criticized Abenomics strategy for widening the gap between haves and have-nots and highlighted the two straight quarters of economic contraction in real terms since the April tax hike.

At 2pm, Reuters reported, voter turnout was 22.7 percent, down almost 5 percentage points from the same time in the last general election in 2012, government data showed.

Japan’s economy is the third largest in the world and fourth largest by purchasing power parity. Besides, it is world’s second largest developed economy.

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About Suyash Karangutkar

Suyash Karangutkar is a young, dedicated and an enthusiastic journalist who has a deep interest in National and International Affairs. He is an ardent political spectator who finds politics fascinating. At Spectralhues, he heads the Mumbai team and covers National Affairs & Politics. He also occasionally writes columns for Spectralhues. He can be followed on Twitter @columnistsuyash