Japan: Campaigning Kicks Off For Oct 27 General Election

TOKYO, Oct 15 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Official campaigning began across Japan on Tuesday for the Oct 27 general election, as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba seeks a fresh mandate and aims to restore public trust in politics, undermined by a slush funds scandal engulfing his ruling party, Kyodo News Agency reported.

Over 1,300 candidates are expected to vie for a total of 465 seats in the House of Representatives in the first contest since 2021, following its dissolution last week, just eight days after Ishiba took office.

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner Komeito are aiming to retain a combined majority in the lower house, or at least 233 seats, a relatively low hurdle given that the coalition had 288 seats before the race.

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The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is hoping to realise a rare change of government in a country that has seen uninterrupted LDP rule for most of the postwar era. Its leader Yoshihiko Noda has criticised Ishiba for using the election to deflect public attention from the money scandal.

Ishiba has faced criticism from opposition leaders who see the 67-year-old premier as having reneged on his promise to spare enough time for parliamentary debate in the recently held extraordinary session without rushing to an election.

The opposition had hoped for time to grill the LDP on the scandal.

His perceived backpedalling on his push for creating a NATO-like alliance in Asia and other policy goals that he set out during the ruling party's presidential race has also come under intense scrutiny, despite his denying that he has made an about-face.

Winning back trust is a top priority for the LDP after revelations that party members had failed to report income from fundraising properly.

While the LDP withdrew its official endorsements of those implicated in the scandal, opposition lawmakers are critical of the way the ruling party has handled the issue.

The scandal, which ultimately cost Ishiba's predecessor, Fumio Kishida, his premiership, remains a key factor for voters, with over 65 per cent of respondents in a recent Kyodo News survey saying they would consider it when voting. Still, the LDP appears to be the top choice for voters, according to the poll.

The rising cost of living is another key issue, with the ruling and opposition parties stressing the need for supporting households.

In the election, each voter casts two ballots: one to choose a candidate in a single-seat constituency and the other to select a party for proportional representation. Japan has 289 single-seat districts and 11 proportional representation blocs.

A Kyodo News tally also shows a record number of women competing in the race.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO