PM Shinzo Abe set for win in Japan poll
20 July 2013 11:09 PM GMT
After six years of political turmoil and a slew of short-term prime ministers, Japan looks set for stability if premier Shinzo Abe’s ruling bloc wins this weekend’s election, analysts say.
But the question is whether Abe will continue his programme of economic reforms, or revert to nationalist type and risk a further fraying of relations with China.
‘We need political stability to carry out policies,’ Abe told reporters. ‘We will get that political stability by winning the upper house election.’ Voters nationwide will Sunday elect half of the 242-seat upper house of parliament.
Opinion polls show Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition ally will win more than half the seats up for grabs.
That would give the 58-year-old premier control of both chambers, removing electoral obstacles until the next national poll.
But the question is whether Abe will continue his programme of economic reforms, or revert to nationalist type and risk a further fraying of relations with China.
‘We need political stability to carry out policies,’ Abe told reporters. ‘We will get that political stability by winning the upper house election.’ Voters nationwide will Sunday elect half of the 242-seat upper house of parliament.
Opinion polls show Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition ally will win more than half the seats up for grabs.
That would give the 58-year-old premier control of both chambers, removing electoral obstacles until the next national poll.
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