Japan conservatives deliver crushing defeat to ruling liberals

The Liberal Democratic Power, which once dominated Japanese politics, will again hold power after three years of center-left rule. The LDP and its coalition partner New Komeito may secure enough seats to hold a two-thirds majority in the powerful lower house – enough to override the upper house. Although incumbent Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has apparently led his party to a crushing defeat, he is projected to hold onto his seat in parliament. Analysts say the LDP win will bring in a government promising a tough stance with China over territorial disputes in the Pacific, and government backing for a pro-nuclear energy policy, despite Japan’s 2011 nuclear catastrophe. Abe also called for more spending on public works initiatives to pull Japan’s once-vibrant economy from its fourth recession in the past 12 years. Japan remains in a two-decade economic slump, and voter dissatisfaction in 2009 allowed Noda’s DPJ party to wrest power from conservatives, who had dominated Japanese politics for most of the post-World War two era. Since the landslide DPJ win, critics say the party has failed to deliver on a series of promises, including vows to crack down on wasteful government spending, and promises of cash incentives to encourage young couples to start families.