Ruling Bloc Loses Majority in Tokyo Assembly

Tokyo, July 12 (Jiji Press)--The ruling coalition of the Liberal
Democratic Party and New Komeito suffered a major defeat in a Tokyo
metropolitan assembly election Sunday, losing a majority in the 127-member
assembly.
The main opposition Democratic Party of Japan overtook the LDP as
the largest force in the assembly of Japan's largest municipality for the
first time ever, winning 54 seats, up from the preelection strength of 34
seats.
Meanwhile, the LDP was able to gain only 38 seats, down from 48
seats, while New Komeito secured 23 seats, up one seat, without suffering
any defeat.
The poll results also showed the Japanese Communist Party took
eight seats against its preelection strength of 13, Tokyo Seikatsusha
Network two against four, and independents two against three.
The ruling bloc's chief aim in the election was to win at least 64
seats to retain its majority.
The failure to achieve the target will likely drive embattled Prime
Minister Taro Aso further into a corner by fueling calls within the LDP for
Aso to step down as party leader before the coming general election, and by
giving momentum to the DPJ's drive to seize power from the ruling bloc.
The Tokyo poll drew keen attention as a prelude to the House of
Representatives election, which must be held by autumn. The outcome will
undoubtedly affect Aso's decision on when to dissolve the all-important
Lower House for the election.
The LDP and the DPJ each fielded 58 candidates. But the ruling
party even lost six of seven single-seat electoral districts in stark
contrast to the previous assembly election, in which the party won five such
districts.
The LDP last gave up the leading party status in the 1965 election
held on the heels of the revelation of a bribery scandal.
Voter turnout in the latest Tokyo election came to 54.49 pct, up
sharply from 43.99 pct marked in the previous election in July 2005.
END