Tokyo — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he would work to regain public trust after his party suffered a historic defeat in an election in the nation’s capital, signalling trouble for the premier amid tumbling support rates. The dismal showing for Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Sunday’s Tokyo Metropolitan assembly election was a stinging rebuke for his four-and-a-half-year-old administration, although on the surface it was a referendum on popular governor Yuriko Koike’s year in office. Koike’s novice Tokyo Citizens First party and its allies, including the LDP’s national-level coalition partner, the Komeito, took 79 seats in the 127-member chamber. The LDP won a mere 23 seats, less than half its pre-election total and its worst-ever result in a Tokyo poll. "I want to regain the people’s trust by unifying the party and … showing results," Abe told reporters. "It was a severe judgment suggesting (voters) thought the Abe administration was getting slack," Abe ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.