Ahead of the General Election, Abe Says "Harsh Winds Are Blowing"... Growing Sense of Crisis in the Liberal Democratic Party

Failure to Secure Majority in Recent Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Election
80% Spectator-Free Tokyo Olympics Also a Blow to the Ruling Party

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] As the Japanese general election approaches, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is facing a difficult situation.

This is interpreted as reflecting the sense of crisis within the party after the LDP failed to secure a majority in the recent Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election.

According to Kyodo News on the 12th, former Prime Minister Abe said at a lecture held in Hokkaido the day before, "A harsh wind is blowing against the LDP. The results of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election also show this. We must accept it humbly."

In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election held on the 4th, the LDP regained the position of the largest party for the first time in four years but failed to secure a majority in the assembly together with its coalition partner, the Komeito Party.

In the election, the regional party 'Tokyoites First (First) Association,' influenced by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, became the second largest party by a narrow margin following the LDP.

The metropolitan assembly election was regarded as a preliminary battle for the general election to be held this fall.

Therefore, the results of this election are seen as a sign that the LDP’s future in the upcoming general election will not be smooth.

In particular, the declaration of a state of emergency in Tokyo due to the resurgence of COVID-19 caused by the Delta variant ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, resulting in most Olympic events being held without spectators, is expected to be a fatal blow to the ruling party.

Previously, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had set a strategy to achieve a landslide victory in the autumn general election after successfully hosting the Olympics.

With the decision to hold the Olympics virtually without spectators, it is interpreted that Prime Minister Suga’s plan has encountered significant setbacks.

Former Prime Minister Abe also expressed the need to focus on COVID-19 prevention and economic stimulus.

He stated, "The government wants to put in effort and cooperate to accelerate vaccinations," indicating his intention to support COVID-19 vaccine administration.

Additionally, he added that the Japanese government will cooperate with the Bank of Japan to implement business support measures and that it is necessary to provide support to prevent the collapse of the tourism industry base.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.