2012 Japanese General Election - Sunday Dec 16,2012

Japan's voters go to the polls on SundayDec 16,2012 that determines the composition of the lower house of Japan's parliament (Diet), the 480-member House of Representatives, which determines who forms the government.

The upper house, the 242-member House of Councillors, is not up for election

 

The Election Process

Members of the House of Representatives are elected for 4- year-terms using a mixed electoral system, with 300 members elected by simple majorities in single-member constituencies and the remaining 180 from National Party lists in proportion to their party's share of the vote

The Election Result Expectations

The election is likely to deliver a  setback to the governing Democratic Party of Japan(DPJ) only 3 years after it ended decades of nearly unbroken rule by the Liberal Democratic Party(LDP)

The Incumbent Prime Minister Yoshihiko Nodaof Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) formed from various small social democratic and liberal groups in 1998, the DPJ led by Yukio Hatoyama unites a range of political views, from centre-left to centrist,swept to power for the first time in 2009 amid voter fatigue with more than 50 years of nearly uninterrupted government by the LDP, winning a strong 308-seat majority

The DPJ has seen a steady decline in its popularity, experiencing two changes of prime minister, party infighting and corruption scandals, and acquiring a reputation with many voters for ineffectiveness.
The main opposition party - the LDP - has rebounded since losing power, benefiting from disillusionment with the DPJ
Main Party Leaders and Prime Ministerial Candidates
Yoshihiko Noda became DPJ leader and PM of Japan in August 2011 after his predecessor, Naoto Kan, resigned in response to criticism of his handling of the Fukushima disaster.

Shinzo Abe,leader of LDP has chance of becoming the PM of Japan for a second time after serving in the office and as LDP leader between September 2006 and September 2007

Shinzo Abe to be Japan Prime Minister after LDP Wins 

 

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Shinzo Abe was on course to return as PM of Japan after the party won an overwhelming victory in the general elections held on sunday Dec 16,2012.

The party won 294 seats and its ally New Komeito gained 31 seats in Sunday’s voting

The Ruling DPJ suffered a heavy defeat in Sunday’s election, taking 57 seats in the lower house, compared with the 230 seats it held before the election.Eight ministers, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, lost their parliamentary seats.

The newly formed 'Japan Restoration Party', headed by former Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara, won 54 seats while the anti-nuclear 'Tomorrow Party of Japan', led by Shiga Governor Yukiko Kada, won 9 seats.  

Voter turnout was 59.32 % down 10 % points from the 2009 elections