Japan PM’s coalition likely to lose upper house election: Exit polls

The governing coalition of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is likely to lose a majority in the smaller of Japan’s two parliamentary houses in a key election today, according to exit polls, worsening the country’s political instability.

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Exit poll results released seconds after the ballots closed on Sunday night mostly showed a major setback for Ishiba’s coalition. Japan’s NHK television projected a range of 32-51 seats for the prime minister’s coalition, while other networks projected it would win just over 40 seats.

A poor performance in the election would not immediately trigger a change of government because the upper house lacks the power to file a no-confidence motion against a leader, but it would certainly deepen uncertainty over his fate and Japan’s political stability.

Soaring prices, lagging incomes and burdensome social security payments are the top issues for frustrated, cash-strapped voters. Stricter measures targeting foreign residents and visitors have also emerged as a key issue.