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Shinzo Abe will be Japan's next prime minister, after winning a massive majority in parliamentary elections. Itsuo Inouye/AP

Japan set to elect fifth new prime minister in five years

Shinzo Abe, who was already prime minister for a year in 2006, will return to power in a landslide victory.

VOTERS IN JAPAN have given the country’s Liberal Democratic Party a landslide in parliamentary elections – and are set to have their fifth prime minister in five years.

Shinzo Abe, who was previously prime minister between 2006 and 2007, is set to be appointed to the country’s top political office with what broadcasters described as “a convincing majority”.

Exit polls by national broadcaster NHK said the Liberal Democrats (LDP) were likely to win between 275 to 310 seats in the House of Representatives, which has a total of 480 seats.

A smaller party, the New Komeito party with whom the LDP is allide, is set to win about 30 seats.

The Democratic Party of Japan, led by incumbent premier Yoshihiko Noda, is likely to win only between 27 and 35 seats under the same forecasts.

The Liberal-New Komeito coalition would have a two-thirds majority – a strong enough lobby to override objections from the upper house, where no party has overall control – and complete an ambitious programme of economic reforms.

“The LDP sweeps to victory; Abe administration to start,” the online edition of the Nikkei newspaper said in a banner headline.

Pledges to kick-start economy

Abe, whose brief stint as premier ended ignominiously, campaigned on pledges to right Japan’s listing economy, which has suffered years of deflation, made worse by a soaring currency that has squeezed exporters.

“It’s time to put an end to the confusion and doldrums of three years and three months,” Abe said Saturday, referring to Noda’s stint in power.

He has also pledged to raise spending on infrastructure projects, at a time when large parts of the tsunami-ravaged north-east have yet to see significant rebuilding following the March 2011 disaster.

The collapse of an ageing highway tunnel that claimed nine lives earlier this month lent weight to his calls, which have been criticised by opponents as a return to the LDP’s “construction state” of the last century.

The LDP had previously been known as one of the world’s most successful and dominant political parties; the party won every general election between 1958 and 2009, and had been in government for all of that time.

The Democratic Party had held power since then but suffered relative instability, embodied by the resignation of Naoto Kan in September 2011 over the fallout from the meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Meanwhile, Tokyo’s former governor Shintaro Ishihara, whose bid to buy disputed islands provoked a fierce diplomatic showdown with China, is also headed to parliament.

Ishihara, who leads the populist Japan Restoration Party, appeared to have secured one of 180 seats up for grabs in the election.

Read: 9 insane products you can buy in Japan’s discount shops

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11 Comments
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    Mute Mr Bordello
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    May 15th 2021, 1:57 PM

    At least the IRA and even loyalists actually admitted and claimed their atrocities.
    50 years is a disgusting lack of respect to victims from a government.

    158
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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    May 15th 2021, 2:12 PM

    @Mr Bordello: Totally agree and Boris Johnson should apologise in the house of commons.

    82
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    Mute Brian Lyons
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    May 15th 2021, 2:18 PM

    @Mr Bordello: the IRA didn’t claim their ‘atrocities’….they admitted they carried out operations … They have never described any of their ‘operations’ as atrocities and they have never apologised for any of them….

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    Mute CASO
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    May 15th 2021, 2:45 PM

    @Brian Lyons: This has nothing to do with the IRA, innocent people were murdered by The British State.

    79
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    Mute Liam MacSuibhne
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    May 15th 2021, 4:25 PM

    @Brian Lyons: that’s his point Brian. The IRA admitted what they did. The British didn’t

    28
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    Mute frank griffin
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    May 15th 2021, 5:32 PM

    @Brian Lyons: yes they have

    15
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    Mute Patrick Daly
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    May 15th 2021, 5:45 PM

    @frank_1916: take off your IRA sinn fein blinkers and do a bit of basic research. Only yesterday,as reported on the journal, Michael Martin called it a massacre but that’s probably inconvenient for your govt bashing.

    9
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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    May 15th 2021, 11:08 PM

    @Mr Bordello: not to mention all the people they killed with plastic bullets, some just children. Some of their files are locked by the British until 2070. I wonder why.

    Francis Rowntree, April 24th 1972 (age 11)
    Tobias Molloy, July 16th 1972 (age 18)
    Thomas Friel, May 17th 1973 (age 21)
    Stephen Geddis, August 30th 1975 (age 10)
    Brian Stewart, October 10th 1976 (age 13)
    Michael Donnelly, August 9th 1980 (age 21)
    Paul Whitters, April 25, 1981 (age 15)
    Julie Livingstone, May 13th 1981 (age 14)
    Carol Ann Kelly, May 22nd 1981 (age 12)
    Henry Duffy, May 22nd 1981 (age 45)
    Nora McCabe, July 9th 1981 (age 30)
    Peter Doherty, July 31st 1981 (age 33)
    Peter McGuinness, August 9th 1981 (age 41)
    Stephen McConomy, April 9th 1982 (age 11)
    John Downes, August 12th 1984 (age 22)
    Keith White, April 14th 1986 (age 20)
    Séamus Duffy, August 11th 1989 (age 15)

    11
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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    May 15th 2021, 11:56 PM

    @CASO: He is addressing the comment above, and he is right. Terrorists might claim responsibility, but they never describe anything the do as an atrocity, and they never say they’re sorry because why would they lie?

    3
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    Mute Margaret Kane
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    May 15th 2021, 2:52 PM

    Why does the keyboard warriors feel they have to mention the IRA when it was the BRITS that killed these people

    118
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    Mute Michael Healy
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    May 15th 2021, 2:55 PM

    @Margaret Kane: because too many don’t wanna admit the Brits kill in cold blood, they prefer to deflect and drag the RA into everything

    96
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    Mute frank_1916
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    May 15th 2021, 5:33 PM

    @Margaret Kane: that’s a media thing like mm calling the ballymurphy murders a situation

    17
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    Mute Eamonn Tierney
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    May 15th 2021, 3:55 PM

    Its incredible the Courage these families have shown in getting to the Truth and there Dignified appearance on TV last night

    41
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    Mute joe oneill
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    May 15th 2021, 4:13 PM

    The spineless way sucessive Irish governments treated the families of the Bloody Sunday and Ballymurphy massacres I hold out little hope for the families of those murdered/injured in the Dublin/Monaghan/Cavan bombings that they will receive any form of truth, never mind justice.

    42
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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    May 15th 2021, 11:11 PM

    @joe oneill: aye, I remember Mary Robinson refusing to meet the Ballymurphy families when she was Irish president in case it offended Unionists. What a spineless woman but typical of the Free-state establishment and media. Don’t offend the Unionists. Don’t offend the British. Even when they murder our people. All afraid to shout that the emperor had no clothes and still afraid.

    13
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    Mute frank_1916
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    May 15th 2021, 5:31 PM

    tubertys said on last nights late late show very few people knew about the Ballymurphy murders would that be because @rtenews and most other media outlets turned a blind eye to it!! my opinion is almost everyone knew about it !! #LateLateShow

    29
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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    May 15th 2021, 6:57 PM

    @frank_1916: On Lynch’s instructions the media in Ireland stud idly by

    16
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    Mute Anne
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    May 15th 2021, 3:20 PM

    There is a very good documentary on the All4 app. Horrific loss.

    27
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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    May 15th 2021, 3:50 PM

    @Anne: Channel 4 done a very good documentary called Massacre at Ballymurphy.

    36
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    Mute Anne
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    May 15th 2021, 3:57 PM

    @Joe Johnson: yes, that’s the one I’m talking about. It was very well made.

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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    May 15th 2021, 4:54 PM

    @Joe Johnson: Yep watched it the other evening bet RTE wouldn’t show it.

    20
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    Mute Brian Shea
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    May 15th 2021, 4:42 PM

    The IRA gave out beatings and shot teenagers in the legs is nothing more than child abuse. The IRA never apologised for any of that. Say what you want but they were children. They bullied their ways into the communities of N Ireland. It’s beyond me how they can justify that as part of their campaign.

    25
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    Mute frank griffin
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    May 15th 2021, 5:34 PM

    @Brian Shea: silly

    20
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    Mute frank_1916
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    May 15th 2021, 5:36 PM

    @Brian Shea: this isn’t about the ira you dope

    30
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    Mute Brian Shea
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    May 15th 2021, 5:43 PM

    @frank_1916: I know it’s about an apology

    11
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    Mute joe oneill
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    May 15th 2021, 7:25 PM

    @Brian Shea: with their communities under siege from the British army and various unionist/loyalist millitas the IRA did not have the time/resources/training to set up and run juvenile detention centres for members of its own communities both young and old.

    12
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    Mute Brian Shea
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    May 15th 2021, 8:07 PM

    @joe oneill: They were children. Teenage children wrapped up in very mixed up society. It’s hard for any adult to condone what would be seen as child abuse of 14 and 15 year olds. What I can see from your comments you support this kind of child abuse.

    8
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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    May 15th 2021, 11:17 PM

    @Brian Shea: any comment on the murder of these children by the British and RUC, Brian??? I bet not, you hypocrite.

    Francis Rowntree, April 24th 1972 (age 11)
    Tobias Molloy, July 16th 1972 (age 18)
    Thomas Friel, May 17th 1973 (age 21)
    Stephen Geddis, August 30th 1975 (age 10)
    Brian Stewart, October 10th 1976 (age 13)
    Michael Donnelly, August 9th 1980 (age 21)
    Paul Whitters, April 25, 1981 (age 15)
    Julie Livingstone, May 13th 1981 (age 14)
    Carol Ann Kelly, May 22nd 1981 (age 12)
    Henry Duffy, May 22nd 1981 (age 45)
    Nora McCabe, July 9th 1981 (age 30)
    Peter Doherty, July 31st 1981 (age 33)
    Peter McGuinness, August 9th 1981 (age 41)
    Stephen McConomy, April 9th 1982 (age 11)
    John Downes, August 12th 1984 (age 22)
    Keith White, April 14th 1986 (age 20)
    Séamus Duffy, August 11th 1989 (age 15)

    9
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    Mute Brian Shea
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    May 15th 2021, 11:43 PM

    @Larry Doherty: Thought this article was about the massacre in Ballymurphy. The Ruc/British forces were wrong absolutely. Daniel Teggart was a victim in the Ballymurphy massacre. His mentally disabled brother Bernard was shot by IRA in 1973. They denied it at the time. It took 31 years for the IRA apologize in 2004. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-34130277

    5
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    Mute On the right side
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    May 15th 2021, 11:44 PM

    @frank_1916: Who were the troops hunting? If the IRA were not hiding amongst the community then this would of not happened, why did the community allow people who murdered innocent people to hide amongst them? People are complaining about Israel killing children in Gaza but where was their condemnation when the IRA blew up innocent children.

    2
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    Mute On the right side
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    May 15th 2021, 11:49 PM

    @joe oneill: The communities welcomed the British Army then the IRA turned the communities against them.

    4
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    Mute joe oneill
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    May 16th 2021, 3:10 AM

    @On the right side: so when people were lining up, begging the IRA for membership it was all the fault of the IRA

    3
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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    May 16th 2021, 2:51 PM

    @On the right side: oh you naïve eejit.

    3
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