Two-thirds majority forecast for PM Abe in Japan polls

Tokyo, Dec 12 (IANS/EFE) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are projected to obtain a clear majority in parliamentary elections to be held Sunday, according to surveys published by media Friday.

The Yomiuri daily estimated the LDP would win 300 out of the total of 475 legislative seats, making a victory for Abe even bigger than the 2012 general elections when his party took 295 seats.

The Buddhist New Komeito Party, the traditional partner of the LDP, will also obtain similar results as two years ago when it got 31 seats, which will help the coalition government control two-thirds of the chamber.

A two-thirds majority in the lower house nullifies the vetoes imposed by the senate on legislative initiatives.

Abe's party is likely to top the record of 308 seats snagged by Banri Kaieda's Democratic Party in 2009, according to a survey published by Nikkei newspaper.

The newspaper also estimated that the New Komeito Party will obtain a better result than 2012.

Surveys by both media indicated that it is unlikely for the Democratic Party to increase its current number of seats. However, the Japan Innovation Party could win in some districts where Kaieda was initially the favourite candidate.

The Japan Innovation Party aspires to become the third political force in the country, although the surveys do not see it exceeding the 2012 results of 42 seats.

Nikkei stressed that 26 percent of the 29,000 voters who were surveyed indicated they had yet to decide for whom to cast their ballots.

Also, 20 percent of the respondents had not picked a party for the proportional representation voting.

--IANS/EFE

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