Japan's ruling party struggling to win majority

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TOKYO, June 27 (Internet): The abrupt resignation of Japan's prime minister and the popularity of the country's new leader, Naoto Kan, appear to have bolstered the beleaguered Democratic Party of Japan: The party appears set to win around the same 54 seats it holds in the key Upper House in the election next month.
But polling data suggest it will be hard for the DPJ to win a majority by itself or even with a coalition, according to opinion surveys and interviews conducted by Japanese newspapers.
These surveys and interviews were carried out as campaigning for Japan's Upper House election on July 11 started Thursday. This is the first nationwide election since the DPJ took power in September, ending nearly 50 years of uninterrupted rule by its rival, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan.
The DPJ needs at least 60 seats for a stand-alone majority, or a combined 57 to capture a majority in a ruling coalition that includes the People's New Party.