Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party won four of the five regional by-elections held on the 23rd for the House of Representatives (lower house) and the upper house (senior house).
It was only defeated by the opposition party in the local by-election where an explosive device was thrown at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
According to public broadcaster NHK and Jiji News, it succeeded in winning seats in four of the five constituencies of the House of Representatives, including Chiba District 5, Wakayama District 1, Yamaguchi District 2 and 4, and House of Representatives Oita District, excluding Waayama District 1.
The Liberal Democratic Party originally set a goal of securing more than three seats in this election.
In the House of Representatives, Yamaguchi 2nd and 4th districts, all LDP candidates won. In these constituencies, candidates with ties to former Prime Minister Abe cast their votes.
Former Shimonoseki city council member Shinji Yoshida (38) of the Liberal Democratic Party was elected in the 4th ward of Yamaguchi, which was vacant due to the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In this election, he had the full support of Akie Abe, the wife of former Prime Minister Abe.
In Yamaguchi District 2, Liberal Democratic Party candidate Nobuchiyo Kishi (31), the eldest son of former Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and nephew of former Prime Minister Abe, defeated independent Hideo Hiraoka, who served as Minister of Justice during the Democratic Party administration, to confirm the election.
After the former defense minister resigned from his legislature in February due to a chronic illness, he ran to inherit the district and was criticized for being a ‘political hereditary succession’.
In the Chiba 5th District House of Representatives, where a member of the LDP was dishonorably resigned due to political fund issues, LDP candidate Eri Alpiya (34), a political newcomer, and Aki Shirasaka (56) of the LDP in the Oita elections for the House of Councilors, respectively, defeated the Constitutional Democratic Party candidate and entered the assembly. advanced
On the other hand, in Wakayama District 1, Yumi Hayashi (41), a member of the right-leaning opposition party Japan Restoration Party, won the victory over former member of the House of Representatives Hirofumi Kado of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Candidate Hayashi is a former member of the Wakayama City Council, and this is his first time as a member of the Diet.
A by-election was held here when a member of the opposition People’s Democratic Party challenged the governorship of a metropolitan municipality.
Given that there are no large-scale elections this year in Japan, this by-election is of the nature of an interim evaluation of the Kishida administration, which was launched in October 2021.
On the other hand, in the ‘first half’ of the unification local elections held on the 9th, the Osaka Restoration Society’s propaganda stood out. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party performed well, securing a majority in parliamentary elections.
Source: Donga
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