Japan PM Abe re-elected with two-thirds majority

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe comfortably won re-election on Sunday, with his ruling coalition securing an unassailable majority in the lower house, media exit polls showed. Private broadcaster TBS projected his Liberal Democratic Party would win 294 seats while its junior partner Komeito would get 34, for a combined 328 seats. Other broadcasters, who also conducted exit polls, gave similar figures. The two-thirds majority in the powerful lower house allows the government to override the upper chamber, where the opposition is stronger, and force legislation through.

I wish there was a party out there that would come up with actual proposals to make Japan a better place to live.

Tokyo voter Akihiro Fujihara, 38

Abe called Sunday’s snap election in a bid to strengthen his grip on power before tackling unpopular policies such as restarting nuclear reactors taken off-line after the 2011 Fukushima disaster and a security policy shift away from post-war pacifism. The fresh mandate will also fuel his reflationary policies to revive Japan’s economy, although voter turnout appeared headed for a postwar record low.

Asia-Pacific Shinzo Abe