Opinion polls place Japanese ruling coalition in a winning position
Tokyo: Pollsters present the coming July 10 general elections for Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito ruling party a win in 63 seats out of 125 mandates up for grabs in the upper chamber of the Japanese parliament, while the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party may secure only 13 to 25 seats, a public opinion poll published by the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun found.
The Liberal Democratic Party, headed by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, could receive from 55 to 65 seats in the upper chamber. Its coalition partner the Komeito party could receive from 10 to 15 seats. The Nippon Ishin party could secure from 11 to 19 seats. The main opposition party the Constitutional Democratic Party could receive only 13 to 25 seats, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.
With the ruling coalition parties and other pro-amendment parties potentially receiving over two thirds of parliamentary seats, the reform of the constitution can become a subject for a referendum, the poll by Yomiuri suggests.
An election campaign is taking place in Japan with 545 candidates from 15 parties contesting for 125 seats. Elections to the upper house are held every three years, but, unlike the lower house, only half of the deputies are re-elected.
The poll was carried out from July 1 to July 3 and used random computer sampling over the phone of 60,800 people, according to the release.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan is advocating for amending the constitution to, in fact, entrench the existence of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), which were founded in 1954 to ensure the country’s external protection and now are serving as Japan’s army. As those opposing the amendments argue, the JSDF existence runs counter to the Article 9 of the constitution, which repudiates war and prohibits the possession of armed forces.
Under the law, a constitutional amendment must be supported by two-thirds of lawmakers in both houses of parliament, with the ultimate decision left for a national referendum. Until last year, Japan had no clear referendum regulations, which made constitutional revisions virtually impossible. However, the parliament adopted a law stipulating the referendum rules last year, with the liberal forces fearing it would pave the way for constitutional revision and greater militarization of Japan. (UNI/SPUTNIK)
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