Prime Minister Shinzo Abe¡¯s ruling coalition won a resounding victory in Sunday¡¯s snap election, securing a two-thirds majority in the Lower House that raised his chances of achieving a historic third term and his longtime ambition of revising the pacifist Constitution.
Media tallies showed the Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito bloc won 312 seats in the 465-member Lower House, power that would help it call a referendum on amending the U.S.-drafted charter. This would herald a resurgence in Abe¡¯s drive to amend the supreme code for the first time since it took force 70 years ago.
The LDP endorsed three independents after the poll wrapped up, raising its post-election strength to a total 283, nearly unchanged from the 284 it held before campaigning started, reports said. ??
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