Japan’s ruling party could well fall short of an outright majority in a July 11 upper house election and may need new allies to control the chamber, media reported yesterday.
Such a result would complicate its push to rein in the country’s huge public debt, including a possible sales tax rise.
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which swept to power in a general election last year, will run the government regardless of the result of next month’s election because it controls the powerful lower house, but needs a majority in the upper chamber to enact laws and implement policies smoothly.
A survey conducted on Thursday and Friday by the Asahi Shimbun showed the DPJ could win about 54 of the 121 seats up for grabs in the 242-member upper house, short of the 60 it needs for an outright majority but in line with a target set by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
The Nikkei business daily predicted the DPJ could win more than 54, while the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said it might get around 50.
All three papers said it was up in the air whether the DPJ and their current tiny ally, the pro-spending People’s New Party, could get the 56 seats they need to keep a combined majority together with an affiliated independent.
Support for the DPJ has rebounded since Kan took over from his unpopular and indecisive predecessor, former prime minister Yukio Hatoyama, earlier this month.
However, it slipped back to around 50 percent after Kan called for debate on raising the 5 percent sales tax to help curb a public debt already about twice the size of the economy.
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