Japanese people's dissatisfaction with the government's handling of inflation was the dominant reason behind the election failure of the ruling coalition, said former Governor of Tokyo Yoichi Masuzoe.
In a landmark political setback, Japan's ruling coalition, comprising the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner Komeito, lost its majority in the 248-member upper chamber last week.
"The biggest reason is the economic problem. Prices in Japan are standing high. People's livelihood is the most important issue in any country. I think the LDP has no relevant policies to tackle the economic problem. This is the biggest reason for its failure in this election. The LDP members also had the 'black money' problem, which is another important reason for the failure. The Japanese people's trust in the LDP has declined notably because of the 'black money' problem," said Masuzoe.
The defeat followed a similar outcome in the 2024 House of Representatives election, leaving the ruling bloc a minority in both chambers of the parliament, a historic first since the LDP's founding in 1955.
Masuzoe said the LDP will have to seek cooperation with other political parties when handling important issues of the country.
"Although the LDP lost the election of the House of Representatives last year, it sustained as a minority ruling party in the house. So, the same approach will probably be adopted in the House of Councillors," said Masuzoe.
LDP's failure to control inflation leads to election loss: analyst
LDP's failure to control inflation leads to election loss: analyst
LDP's failure to control inflation leads to election loss: analyst
