AMID poor weather and a markedly low turnout, Japanese voters delivered a profoundly ambiguous verdict in yesterday's general election, as they endorsed more conservative candidates than ever before but in such a way as to make short-to medium-term instability almost certain.
Up to 30 days of intense political manoeuvring are in prospect, with a weak government the likely result. But, in the longer run, the election may turn out to be a second slow-but-sure step towards the development of a viable two-party democracy.
As expected, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), losing its majority for the fourth time in its 38-year dominance, was severely trounced. But the longstanding rival that has never succeeded in ousting the LDP from power, the Japanese Socialist Party, did even worse.
The real winners in the election, also as expected, were the three parties formed in the past year from LDP dissidents. Both the Nihon Shinto (Japan New Party) and the Shinseito (Japan Renewal Party) did better than any previous new parties on the Japanese political scene. The Sakigake (New Forerunner Party) also added to its pre-election strength.
Hence the paradox: while the LDP was finally losing its majority, and maybe its control of the Government, the reality was that Japanese voters returned even more conservative-minded candidates than ever before. All three new parties are right-wing in most of their policies. Together, they have won more than 100 seats.
They differ from the LDP mainly in their more insistent attitude towards political reform - the issue which brought about the election.