Abe's government "facing major Japan poll defeat" (3rd Lead)

Jul 29, 2007, 12:11 GMT

Tokyo - Japan's coalition government led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was heading for a major defeat Sunday in the first countrywide election since he took office in September.

The coalition of Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and its New Komeito party was expected to lose its majority in the upper chamber, the House of Councillors, according to Kyodo news agency exit polls.

The survey showed that the largest opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) would secure a majority in the upper house, meaning the first time a party other than the LDP would seize the most number of seats in the upper house since the LDP was established in 1955.

A low turnout marked Sunday's election for half the 242 seats in the House of Councillors. The vote - among an electorate of around 100 million - was the first national election since Abe took office in September, and was seen as a major test of his popularity.

Just before polling closed, turnout was 0.5 per cent down on the 39.9 per cent seen in a similar poll held in June 2004.

The coalition government led by Abe faces a critical challenge to maintain its majority at a time when Abe's Liberal Democratic Party was criticized for an accounting scandal in the government pension programme that saw 50 million payments misplaced.

The latest approval ratings for the Japanese cabinet were 28 per cent, the lowest since Abe became prime minister in September, after his hand-picked ministers continued to be targets of public criticism for their political blunders.

Agriculture Minister Norihiko Akagi was accused of mishandling political funds. Defence Minister Fumio Kyuma resigned after controversial remarks concerning atomic bombings, and scandal-tainted Farm Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka committed suicide.

If Sunday's election leads to the defeat of the coalition government, some analysts say that Abe may have to recast his entire cabinet and could even be forced to resign himself.

Although, technically, upper house elections are not to select the prime minister, Sunday's election will be seen as a referendum on Abe's performance.