Japan’s ruling coalition is projected to have won the most votes in an election held just two days after the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, national broadcaster NHK said yesterday.
The former prime minister’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Komeito are expected to claim between 69 and 83 of the 125 Japanese House of Councilors seats up for grabs.
Even before Abe’s murder, the LDP and Komeito were expected to cement their majority, although the final number of seats would be scrutinized for signs of whether the attack bolstered support for them.
Photo: Bloomberg
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had insisted the election proceed despite the assassination, saying: “We must never allow violence to suppress speech.”
Abe was shot at close range on Friday in Nara, and died of blood loss at a local hospital. His body was brought to his family home in Tokyo on Saturday.
The assassination rattled the nation and sent shockwaves around the world, prompting an outpouring of sympathy even from nations with which the hawkish Abe had sometimes difficult relations, such as China and South Korea.
Photo: AFP
The man accused of his murder, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, is in custody and has told police he spent months planning the attack, accusing Abe of having links to a religious group he blames for his mother’s financial ruin, Japanese media reported.
He reportedly visited the western Okayama Prefecture on Thursday with the intent of killing Abe at a different event, but backed out because participants had to submit their names and addresses.
In the wake of Abe’s murder, measures were beefed up for Kishida’s remaining appearances.
However, security at polling stations yesterday remained normal, with 79-year-old Takao Sueki saying he was voting with an eye on international instability, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Watching the world now, I think every day about how Japan will manage with the situation,” he said.
“This is a democratic country and I despise the use of violence to eliminate someone,” he added when asked about Abe’s murder. “I strongly believe that if people have disagreements, they should dispute them with dialogue.”
Police promised a “thorough investigation” into what the head of the Nara Regional Police Bureau called “problems with guarding and safety measures” for Abe.
“In all the years since I became a police officer in 1995 ... there is no greater remorse, no bigger regret than this,” Nara police chief Tomoaki Onizuka tearfully told reporters on Saturday evening.
Abe’s office said that a wake would be held tonight, with a funeral for family and close friends only tomorrow.
Local media said both were expected to be held at Tokyo’s Zojoji Temple.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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