Japan PM's LDP (center right) loses 3 Diet seats to main opposition amid scandal

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, headed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, lost three seats in House of Representatives by-elections Sunday, including Shimane Prefecture, known as a conservative stronghold, delivering a harsh indictment on the scandal-hit LDP.

The leading opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, led by left-leaning lower house lawmaker Kenta Izumi since November 2021, acquired all three seats by obtaining support from anti-LDP voters.

The lower house by-elections were held as the ruling LDP has come under intense scrutiny after some of its factions neglected to report portions of their income from fundraising parties and maintained slush funds for years for their members.

The LDP's crushing defeat in Shimane is set to undermine Kishida's political footing and prod LDP lawmakers to attempt to oust him from power before the next general election, making it unlikely he will run in the party's presidential race around September.





https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/04/c7fb9e7347ac-voting-underway-for-3-by-elections-in-japans-lower-house.html