Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo re-elected for another four year term

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on 14 December 2014 was re-elected for another four-year term. He was re-elected after Japan's ruling coalition (Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito) won a two thirds majority in the Snap elections held for the Lower House (House of Representatives) of the Bicameral legislature, the National Diet.

Snap elections were called by Abe to secure support for his Abenomics, which is a blend of aggressive monetary easing, public spending and economic reforms.

The elections saw the voter turnout at 52.7 percent, which was a post-World War II record low. The turn-out was also down nearly 7 percentage points from the previous lower house election in 2012.

Snap elections Result
Abe’s party Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won 290 seats and its coalition partner Komeito won 35 seats together garnering a total of 325 seats out of 475 seat of Lower House.

While, the largest opposition group, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), won 73 seats, which is 11 more than its pre-election strength of 62. But DPJ President

The Japan Communist Party nearly tripled its seats to 21, while another opposition party, the Innovation Party, took 41 seats.

Comment
A two thirds majority in the Lower House will allow the re-enactment of bills rejected by the Upper House. Apart from this, the two-third majority in the Lower House will allow the ruling party to propose amendment of Constitution.