Japan's Ruling Party Loses Long-Standing Majority in Major Blow to New PM

The Japanese general election on Sunday, October 27, resulted in the ruling coalition, led by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, losing its majority in the lower house of parliament. The opposition parties secured more than half the seats, with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan being the biggest winner, having secured 143 seats. The LDP and Komeito secured 215 seats, short of the 233 needed to reach a majority. This marks the first time since 2009 that the LDP has lost its majority in the national parliament. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba acknowledged the severity of the loss, stating that voters had delivered a "severe judgement" to his party.