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Japan`s ruling coalition headed for clear majority: Koizumi
Tokyo, Nov 09: Japan`s ruling coalition is headed to take a clear majority of 252 seats in today`s nationwide parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said.
Tokyo, Nov 09: Japan's ruling coalition is headed
to take a clear majority of 252 seats in today's nationwide
parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
said.
The comment came after early results showed the
coalition would narrowly retain power in a nationwide
parliamentary vote, but only against an opposition that
appeared set to make big gains against Koizumi's weakened
liberal democratic party.
Facing his first trial in lower house polls since taking power more than two years ago, Koizumi called the tightly contested race a test of his party's public support. All 480 seats in the more powerful chamber, including his own, were up for grabs.
Early returns appeared to dampen what the leader hoped would be a bolstered mandate for his platform of political streamlining and economic reforms.
While his coalition looked set to maintain control of the government, Koizumi's own liberal democratic party was forecast to lose the simple majority it enjoyed by itself before the election.
"We believe this is a fairly difficult battle," conceded LDP Secretary-General Shinzo Abe. "But we believe the coalition will be able to maintain its majority."
Bureau Report
Facing his first trial in lower house polls since taking power more than two years ago, Koizumi called the tightly contested race a test of his party's public support. All 480 seats in the more powerful chamber, including his own, were up for grabs.
Early returns appeared to dampen what the leader hoped would be a bolstered mandate for his platform of political streamlining and economic reforms.
While his coalition looked set to maintain control of the government, Koizumi's own liberal democratic party was forecast to lose the simple majority it enjoyed by itself before the election.
"We believe this is a fairly difficult battle," conceded LDP Secretary-General Shinzo Abe. "But we believe the coalition will be able to maintain its majority."
Bureau Report