Japan exit polls in election two days after Abe’s assassination show ruling coalition projected to keep upper house majority

Sunday’s election, which had been expected to see Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party maintain its majority, was overshadowed by his murder

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other politicians had insisted the shock killing would not halt the democratic process

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Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:52am, 10 Jul 2022Updated: 9:47pm, 10 Jul 2022

Japan’s ruling coalition was projected to keep its majority in the upper house of parliament on Sunday, two days after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a dominant politician and power broker.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), of which Abe was a senior figure, and its junior coalition partner Komeito were on track to win between 69 and 83 of the 125 seats contested in Sunday’s vote, according to NHK exit polls. Official results are expected on Monday.

The election was overshadowed by Abe’s murder but Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other politicians had insisted Friday’s shock killing would not halt the democratic process.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Okayama, Japan, on July 7. The following day, he was fatally shot during election campaigning. Photo: Kyodo

Kishida had set a goal for the coalition to retain a majority in the 248-member upper house in the election, held in the immediate aftermath of the shock death of Abe who was shot during a campaign speech.

Even before Abe’s murder, the LDP and Komeito were expected to cement their majority, though the final number of seats will be scrutinised for signs of whether the attack bolstered support for them.

On Sunday evening Kishida said it was important the election was able to take place given the circumstances involving 67-year-old Abe’s death. Asked about constitutional revision, he said there would be a focus on efforts to put together a bill that could be discussed in parliament.

Airo Hino, a political science professor at Waseda University, said it appeared the LDP would be able to extend its seats “and there will be enough seats won through the various parties to have the two-thirds majority needed to revise the constitution. It’s pretty much as expected but the incident two days ago may well have had an impact”.