People to vote in Parliamentary poll in Japan tomorrow

Tokyo: In Japan, people will vote tomorrow in Parliamentary polls with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s party fighting to save its majority in the lower house. The polls come at a time when the country is debating the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic as well as worsening economic inequality.

Japan's Parliament has already been dissolved ahead of tomorrow's vote. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) had 276 seats in the 465-member chamber while its coalition partner Komeito had 29.

Most opinion polls are projecting that the LDP



will retain power albeit with a reduced number of seats.

Earlier this month, Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had surprised by calling for early Parliamentary Polls. Mr Kishida had expressed a wish to implement large-scale Coronavirus counter-measures and bold economic policies saying that the polls will make it clear whether people trust him to carry out these policies.

Kishida, who succeeded the unpopular Yoshihide Suga a month ago, has set a target of 233 seats for the coalition.