Ruling bloc loses majority, DPJ becomes top party in Tokyo assembly

TOKYO, July 13 Kyodo - The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the New Komeito party lost its majority in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly following Sunday's local election, while the opposition Democratic Party of Japan became the largest party.

The failure of the ruling bloc to achieve its target of retaining a majority
could stir strong moves within the LDP to hold a presidential election to
replace Prime Minister Taro Aso as party head prior to a lower house election
that must be held by October.
The DPJ's advance in Sunday's election, which was widely seen as a bellwether
for the upcoming general election, will provide momentum to the party ahead of
the national election.
Of 221 candidates who vied for the 127 seats, the DPJ won 54 seats compared
with 38 seats for the LDP, while all of New Komeito's 23 candidates won seats.
The Japanese Communist Party won eight seats, and Tokyo Seikatsusha Network and
independents won two each.
Voter turnout stood at 54.49 percent, up 10.5 points from the previous election.
Before the election, 48 assembly members belonged to the LDP, 34 to the DPJ, 22
to New Komeito, 13 to the JCP and four to Tokyo Seikatsusha Network. Four other
assembly members were independents and two seats were vacant.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura and LDP Secretary General Hiroyuki
Hosoda agreed Sunday evening to make efforts so that the outcome of the Tokyo
polls does not affect national politics and to leave the decision of the timing
for the lower house dissolution to Aso's discretion, according to a government
source.
With the drastic setback for the LDP, Nobuteru Ishihara, an LDP lower house
member and leader of the party's Tokyo chapter, said, ''We have to humbly
accept the judgment of Tokyo residents,'' while Kazuo Kitagawa, secretary
general of New Komeito, said the ruling bloc faced a hard battle because the
LDP could not demonstrate solidarity in tackling the Tokyo election.
Kitagawa also expressed caution over an immediate dissolution of the lower
house, saying, ''Though the prime minister will make a decision, it is the
ruling parties' responsibility to appropriately deal with major bills.''
Meanwhile, the DPJ plans to submit a no-confidence motion against the Aso
Cabinet to the Diet and a censure motion against Aso on Monday following its
triumph in the Tokyo assembly election, a senior party official said.
''We will urge (the prime minister) to seek a response from voters'' through
the general election, DPJ leader Yukio Hatoyama told reporters.
On Saturday, Aso was quoted as telling Kawamura, ''The results of the Tokyo
assembly election are not related to national politics,'' reiterating his
intention to decide by himself when to dissolve the lower house.
The two met after the premier returned to Japan from Italy where he attended
the Group of Eight summit.
On the timing for dissolving the lower house, Aso said in a news conference in
the central Italian city of L'Aquila that he is aware of ''various people
inside and outside the party making statements at various places in Japan...I
will make a judgment soon by taking various conditions fully into account.''
Both ruling and opposition parties deployed national election-level forces for
the high-profile race, in which the local government's bid to host the 2016
Olympic Games, its relocation plan for the Tsukiji fish market and sloppy
management of struggling bank Shinginko Tokyo were among major points of
contention.
As the ruling bloc lost the majority, Gov. Shintaro Ishihara may face
difficulties in promoting his two major policies -- Shinginko Tokyo's
reconstruction and relocation of the Tsukiji fish market.
In the Tokyo assembly election, the DPJ called on the Tokyo metropolitan
government to leave the management of Shinginko Tokyo and expressed opposition
to the relocation of the Tsukiji market, saying the relocation site is
contaminated. It has not shown a clear stance regarding the hosting of the 2016
Olympic Games in its manifesto.
The bank began operating in 2005 on a policy initiative led by Ishihara to
provide financing mainly to credit-starved small businesses. It has been in the
red since its launch. The Tokyo government has invested about 140 billion yen
in the troubled bank.
To boost public support for the LDP, Aso visited most of its candidates'
campaign offices before the kickoff of the campaign, while expressing the view
he does not need to take responsibility if the party loses, saying a local
election and national politics are different.
As LDP-backed candidates have succumbed to DPJ-supported candidates four
straight times recently in major local elections -- mayoral polls in Nagoya,
Saitama and Chiba, and a gubernatorial race in Shizuoka Prefecture -- some LDP
lawmakers have argued Aso should step down if the LDP suffers another loss in
the metropolitan assembly election.