Japan’s Ruling Party Loses Special Election in Blow to Premier
- Main opposition party wins three seats formerly held by LDP
- Scandal helped trigger defeat months ahead of leadership vote
Fumio Kishida
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Japan’s ruling party lost a special election Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had described in part as a judgment on himself, months ahead of a party leadership vote.
Public anger over a slush fund scandal helped the main opposition candidate Akiko Kamei defeat the Liberal Democratic Party’s Norimasa Nishikori by about 83,000 votes to 58,000 in what had been a party stronghold in Shimane prefecture.