The Liberal Democratic Party is expected to secure 316 seats out of Japan’s 500 seats, its best result since the party was formed in 1955.
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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi celebrated his Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide victory in Sunday’s general election, pledging to cut taxes and maintain the health of his cabinet.
Takaichi’s pledge on Monday came amid predictions by broadcaster NHK that the conservative Liberal Democratic Party would secure 316 seats in the 500-member Diet and win a “historic” two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives.
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This was the Liberal Democratic Party’s best result since its founding in 1955, surpassing its previous record of 300 seats set in 1986 by then-Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone.
The Liberal Democratic Party’s junior partner, Nippon Ishin no Kai, won 36 seats, while the main opposition party, the Centrist Reform Alliance, was able to retain only 49 of the 172 seats it previously held.
Analysts attribute the Liberal Democratic Party’s victory to the extraordinary popularity of Takaichi, Japan’s first female leader, which they say will enable her to pursue significant changes in Japan’s security, immigration and economic policies.
In a television interview with NHK on Monday, Takaichi said he would focus on policies to make Japan strong and prosperous.
The prime minister told NHK that he would promote the consumption tax reduction as promised by the Liberal Democratic Party. During the election period, the ruling party said it would reduce the cost of living for households by suspending the 8% food sales tax for two years.
Takaichi said, “Most political parties are in favor of lowering the consumption tax, whether it’s reducing the tax rate on food products to zero or 5 percent, or reducing the tax rate on all items to 5 percent.”
“The Liberal Democratic Party is also advocating for a consumption tax cut. This is a big issue, so I would like to strongly urge the establishment of a bipartisan forum to accelerate the discussion.”
Mr. Takaichi also referred to the Cabinet as a “good team” and expressed his intention not to reshuffle the Cabinet.
The chairman of Japan’s top business organization, Keidanren, also welcomed the result, saying it would help restore political stability.
Yoshinobu Tsutsui said, “Japan’s economy is currently at an important crossroads in achieving sustainable and strong growth.”
US President Donald Trump, who supported Takaichi before the election, congratulated him in a social media post and wished him “great success.”
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung also offered his congratulations and said he hoped to meet her in Seoul soon.
The leaders of India, Italy and Taiwan also welcomed Gaoichi’s victory.
Al Jazeera’s Patrick Fok, reporting from Tokyo, said Taiwanese President Lai Ching-de’s message to Gao Shi could upset China.
“Recall that Mr. Takaichi provoked China’s anger by suggesting that Japan might intervene if China attacked Taiwan,” he said, referring to the diplomatic storm the Japanese leader sparked shortly after taking office last year.
“How she handles relations between Tokyo and Beijing is likely to determine Japan’s foreign policy,” Fok added.
China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and is closely monitoring Gaoichi and the results of public opinion polls.
A strong mandate for Takaichi could also accelerate his plans to strengthen military defenses, which Beijing has launched in an attempt to revive Japan’s militaristic past.
“Beijing will not welcome Gaoshi’s victory,” said David Bowling, principal at Asia Group, a firm that advises companies on geopolitical risks.
“China is now facing the reality that they have her firmly in place and that efforts to isolate her have completely failed,” Boling told Reuters.
