Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

Japan Ruling Party Loses Seats in Blow for Suga Before Election

Published 26/04/2021, 01:52
Updated 26/04/2021, 02:09
© Bloomberg. Yoshihide Suga, Japan's prime minister, speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, April 23, 2021. Tokyo and three other prefectures that roughly account for a third of the economy are set to enter the state of emergency from Sunday, little more than a month after an earlier emergency was finally lifted in the capital.

© Bloomberg. Yoshihide Suga, Japan's prime minister, speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, April 23, 2021. Tokyo and three other prefectures that roughly account for a third of the economy are set to enter the state of emergency from Sunday, little more than a month after an earlier emergency was finally lifted in the capital.

(Bloomberg) -- Japanese opposition parties won all three by-elections for parliamentary seats in a blow for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who must hold a general election within six months.

The by-elections held Sunday were the first of their kind for Suga since he became prime minister in September. Two of the races -- one in the northern island of Hokkaido and another in Hiroshima -- were to replace ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers who stepped down over graft charges. The LDP didn’t field a candidate in the Hokkaido election.

The opposition also won a third election in the central prefecture of Nagano, held after the death of a lawmaker from Covid-19. Despite the losses, the LDP-led coalition kept its majority in both houses of parliament.

While Suga’s LDP is unlikely to be toppled in the near future, the losses could weaken support for the prime minister, who has come under fire since he took office last year over scandals and his handling of the pandemic. He faces a party leadership poll in September and must also call a general election by October.

Japan Shuts Tokyo Bars, Bans Sports Fans in New Virus Emergency

None of the opposition parties boasts support of more than single figures. A poll published this month by public broadcaster NHK found 37.4% of respondents supported the LDP, while the next most popular group was the Constitutional Democratic Party on 6.3%. The main opposition parties jointly backed candidates in Sunday’s three by-elections.

Suga came to office with some of the highest support ratings in recent years for a new Japanese leader, but a series of scandals and a surge in coronavirus cases has pushed approval down. The NHK poll this month put support for his cabinet at 44%.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

© Bloomberg. Yoshihide Suga, Japan's prime minister, speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, April 23, 2021. Tokyo and three other prefectures that roughly account for a third of the economy are set to enter the state of emergency from Sunday, little more than a month after an earlier emergency was finally lifted in the capital.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.