Tokyo: Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae spoke with NHK about her plans for the government.
She said: “I think the current Cabinet is a good team. It’s still only just over three months since it was launched, but the members have been working really hard and are producing results. So I don’t think I will change it. Most parties are in favor of reducing the consumption tax, such as reducing the tax on food items to zero, or to 5 percent, or reducing the tax on all items to 5 percent. The LDP has also campaigned for a consumption tax cut. I strongly want to call for the establishment of a supra-party forum to speed up discussion on this, as it is a big issue.”
A coalition with a two-thirds majority would be able to pass bills rejected by the Upper House. Proposals to amend the Constitution also need that level of support in both chambers before going to a referendum.
Opposition leaders spoke to NHK about the results so far. Sanseito President Kamiya Sohei said: “We were able to field 182 candidates in this election, one in each district. It was a big challenge for our party. We will examine the results, such as the percentage of votes we gained, and build a system that will allow us to perform well in single-seat constituencies nationwide. I think creating an organization that is competent for ground battles will lead to the party’s expansion.”
Team Mirai Leader Anno Takahiro said: “I am relieved to have achieved our goal of winning five or more seats. Our party has had only one seat up to now, but from tomorrow, we can work as a team and can work in real terms. During our campaign, we insisted that the reduction of social insurance premiums should be given priority over consumption tax cuts. I understand that gaining so many votes means that the public to some extent supports our proposal. I would like Prime Minister Takaichi to take this into consideration in advancing her plan to create a forum to discuss taxes and other issues.”
NHK data shows the largest opposition party, the Centrist Reform Alliance, may lose around half its seats.
“We have consistently stressed the importance of responsible and proactive fiscal policy,” Takaichi told reporters after media projections showed her party triumphing in the snap election.
“We will prioritise the sustainability of fiscal policy. We will ensure necessary investments.”
While Takaichi is hugely popular, the ruling LDP, which has governed Japan for most of the last seven decades, has struggled due to funding and religious scandals. The PM called Sunday’s snap elections only after three months, in hopes of turning the party’s political fortunes.
However, Takaichi’s election promise to suspend the eight percent sales tax on food to help households cope with rising prices has spooked investors, who are concerned about how the nation with the heaviest debt burden among advanced economies will fund the plan.
Nevertheless, residents trudged through winter weather to cast their ballots, with record snowfall in parts of the country snarling traffic and requiring some polling stations to close early.
