Japan Prime Minister’s Coalition Likely to Win December Election: Poll

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is expected to gather a 300 seat supermajority of the 475 seat lower house of the Japanese parliament in the December 14 general elections.

MOSCOW, December 4 (Sputnik) — Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s coalition is predicted to win the December 14 general elections, according to major media polls published Thursday by the Kyodo news agency and major Japan newspapers.

Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is expected to gather a 300 seat supermajority of the 475 seat lower house of the Japanese parliament, an increase of 5 seats over the November roll call.

The main opponents of the Japan’s ruling party, the Democratic Party of Japan, are expected to get only 70 seats, an 8 seat increase over the previous assembly.

Ruling party victory predictions are understood in light of the weak opposition and few political alternatives to “Abenomics,” the name of the current prime minister’s economic policies, Kyodo news agency reported.

Prime Minister Abe called for a general election in November after dissolving the lower house of the Japanese parliament. The decision came after a sales tax increase intended to reduce Japan’s national debt was shown to decrease consumer spending.

According to International Monetary Fund estimates, the Japan national debt exceeds the country’s gross domestic product by a factor of two, based on 2013 data.