Ruling coalition in Japan loses parliamentary majority in major election setback

LDP, which has ruled for almost all of Japan's post-war history, and partner Komeito secure 209 out of 465 seats

TOKYO:

Japan's ruling coalition lost its parliamentary majority in a drubbing at Sunday's national election, raising uncertainty over the make-up of the next government and the outlook for the world's fourth-largest economy.

With all but 20 of the 465 seats accounted for, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has ruled Japan for almost all of its post-war history, and junior coalition partner Komeito took 209 seats in the lower house of parliament, public broadcaster NHK reported.

That was down from the 279 seats they held previously and marked the coalition's worst election result since it briefly lost power in 2009. "This election has been very tough for us," a sombre-looking Ishiba told TV Tokyo.

Komeito's Keiichi Ishii, who took over as that party's new leader last month, lost in his district.

The biggest winner of the night, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), had 143 seats so far, up from 98 previously, as voters punished Ishiba's party over a funding scandal and inflation.

The outcome may force parties into fractious power-sharing deals to rule, potentially ushering in political instability as the country faces economic headwinds and a tense security situation in East Asia.

"This is not the end, but the beginning," CDPJ leader Yoshihiko Noda told a press conference, adding that his party would work with other opposition parties to aim for a change of government.

Ishiba said he would wait until the final results, likely due in the early hours of Monday, before considering potential coalitions or other power-sharing deals.

The prime minister had called the snap poll immediately after being elected to head the party last month, hoping to win a public mandate for his premiership. His predecessor, Fumio Kishida, quit after his support fell due to anger over a cost of living crunch and the scandal involving unrecorded donations to lawmakers.

The election also took place nine days before voters in the United States - Japan's closest ally - head to the polls in another unpredictable ballot.