ASSESSMENTS

In a High-Stakes Gamble, Japan's Leader Takes on an Upstart

Oct 12, 2017 | 12:46 GMT

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is facing a contest at the polls that could challenge his grip on the government.

The Liberal Democratic Party, now led by Shinzo Abe, has ruled Japan for six decades, only briefing slipping from power during 1993-96 (in the wake of the real estate collapse) and during 2009-12 (under the Democratic Party).

(KIM HONG JI/Getty Images)

Highlights

  • A strong showing by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike's Hope Party in upcoming elections could complicate the agenda of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Liberal Democratic Party.
  • The Hope Party is not bent on entirely derailing Abe's proposals. Koike is a defense hawk with strong nationalist credentials and is a supporter of small government.
  • The snap elections will be a bellwether of Abe's standing in Japan and of the direction of the country's reforms.

Japan's prime minister is playing his political cards carefully as he gambles that his party can hold on to power. Japanese leader Shinzo Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will soon face a contest at the polls that could challenge his grip on the government and affect the party's ability to ram through its legislative agenda. The Oct. 22 general elections will pit LDP lawmakers against the conservative upstart Hope Party, led by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike. And with an LDP leadership contest looming in late 2018, these elections could determine whether Abe can secure his tenure through 2020....

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