Japan braces for gridlock after ruling party loss
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
TOKYO, July 12 (AP): Japan's ruling party faced the prospect of political gridlock Monday as bad losses in weekend parliamentary elections undermine its attempts to reduce the second-largest economy's ballooning budget deficit and revive growth.
Half of the 242 seats in the upper house of parliament were up for grabs Sunday. The ruling Democratic Party of Japan won only 44 seats - far below its stated goal of 54 - while opposition parties made major gains.
That leaves the Democrats and their tiny coalition partner with 110 seats in the chamber, well below their majority of 122 before the vote. The conservative Liberal Democratic Party won 51 seats, bringing its total to 84.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan's party will retain power because it still controls the more powerful lower house. But the results are a dramatic contrast to the Democrats' landslide victory just a year ago, when they seized control of parliament and ended the rival Liberal Democrats nearly unbroken 55-year rule.
The Democrats didn't appear to be reaching out to other parties Monday to join their coalition - and none showed an interest in coming on board. Failure to regain a majority would make it difficult to move ahead on their agenda, which includes cutting wasteful spending, making government more open and creating a solid social security system as the population rapidly ages and shrinks.
Half of the 242 seats in the upper house of parliament were up for grabs Sunday. The ruling Democratic Party of Japan won only 44 seats - far below its stated goal of 54 - while opposition parties made major gains.
That leaves the Democrats and their tiny coalition partner with 110 seats in the chamber, well below their majority of 122 before the vote. The conservative Liberal Democratic Party won 51 seats, bringing its total to 84.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan's party will retain power because it still controls the more powerful lower house. But the results are a dramatic contrast to the Democrats' landslide victory just a year ago, when they seized control of parliament and ended the rival Liberal Democrats nearly unbroken 55-year rule.
The Democrats didn't appear to be reaching out to other parties Monday to join their coalition - and none showed an interest in coming on board. Failure to regain a majority would make it difficult to move ahead on their agenda, which includes cutting wasteful spending, making government more open and creating a solid social security system as the population rapidly ages and shrinks.