November 12, 2024

Following the general election last month, the 215th special session of the Diet was convened on November 11 to choose a new prime minister.

As the result of the October 27 general election, the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties failed to maintain their majority control in the House of Representatives.

In the first-round vote for prime minister at the House of Representatives plenary meeting, no candidates received a majority of votes, and a runoff election took place between the two top finishers, LDP President Ishiba Shigeru and Noda Yoshihiko, president of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition party. The runoff election was held for the first time in 30 years.

The Japanese Communist Party voted for Noda in the second-round of vote.

Earlier in the day, JCP Executive Committee Chair Tamura Tomoko, in her speech at the JCP Dietmembers Assembly, referred to a recent meeting with Noda in which he asked for the JCP’s cooperation in the Diet vote if it goes to a runoff. She pointed out that in the general election, voters gave a “No” verdict to the LDP-Komei government, and said, “In response to the voters’ verdict, the JCP will support Noda in a runoff vote.” Explaining the reason for this decision, she said that in the meeting with Noda, they agreed to cooperate in working to uncover the truth behind the LDP’s slush fund scandal and in imposing a total ban on corporate and organizational donations to political parties. She added that the CDPJ leader positively responded to Tamura’s proposal to make joint efforts to fulfill people’s urgent demands such as the introduction of a dual surname system and a halt to an increase in college tuition fees.

In the runoff election in the 465-member Lower House, Ishiba obtained 221 votes, Noda received 160 votes, and 84 votes were deemed to be invalid. The 84 included votes submitted by the “Nippon Ishin no Kai” party, the Democratic Party for the People, and the “Reiwa” party for their leaders, respectively. Consequently, these parties’ act disregarded the voters’ will and gave a helping hand to the continued existence of the LDP-Komei government.

Past related article:
> JCP EC Chair Tamura: JCP will positively consider CDPJ’s request for cooperation in PM selection process [October 31, 2024]