Joint letter of congratulations following general election and the reconfirmation of Shinzō Abe as Prime Minister of Japan

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Series Details 23.10.17
Publication Date 23/10/2017
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Background and further information:

Voting took place in all Representatives constituencies of Japan - 289 single-member districts and eleven proportional blocks – in order to appoint all 465 members (down from 475) of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the then 707-member bicameral National Diet of Japan.

Incumbent Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's governing coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito gained a landslide victory, winning his fourth term in office and retaining the two-thirds super majority.

The snap election was called in the midst of the North Korea missile threat and the largest opposition party the Democratic Party in disarray. Despite being disrupted by Typhoon Lan, the election saw a slight increase in turnout rate of 53.68% but still was the second lowest in postwar Japan. It was the first election after the voting age was lowered from 20 to 18. Mr Abe also became the first Prime Minister to win three consecutive general elections since 1953 and the first LDP leader to do that.

The leaders of the European Union congratulated Shinzō Abe following the victory gathered by his party at a general election for the Japanese House of Representatives on 22 October 2017.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/10/23-tusk-juncker-reconfirmation-abe/
Related Links
Wikipedia: Japanese general election, 2017 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_general_election,_2017
The Japan Times, 20.10.17: Despite growing presence, foreign residents’ needs treated as accidental election issue https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/10/20/national/politics-diplomacy/despite-growing-presence-foreign-residents-needs-treated-accidental-election-issue/
BBC News, 22.10.17: Japan's snap election explained http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41329669
The Economist, 19.10.17: Voters are not impressed with Japan’s new opposition party https://www.economist.com/news/asia/21730463-it-has-realigned-japanese-politics-voters-are-not-impressed-japans-new-opposition-party
The Guardian, 22.10.17: Shinzo Abe secures strong mandate in Japan's general election https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/22/shinzo-abe-secures-strong-mandate-in-japans-general-election
The Japan Times, 25.10.17: South Korean leader congratulates Abe on ruling bloc’s poll win https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/10/25/national/politics-diplomacy/south-korean-leader-congratulates-abe-election-win/
The Independent, 24.10.17: What does Shinzo Abe's election win mean for Japan? http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japan-election-result-shinzo-abe-victory-north-korea-ageing-population-threat-tackle-a8016151.html
BBC News, 23.10.17: Japan PM Shinzo Abe promises to handle North Korea threat http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-41717219
The Guardian, 23.10.17: What now for Japan after Abe's landslide election victory? https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/23/what-now-for-japan-after-abes-landslide-election-victory
The New York Times, 22.10.17: Japan Election Vindicates Shinzo Abe as His Party Wins Big https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/22/world/asia/japan-election-shinzo-abe.html
The Japan Times, 23.10.17: North Korea blasts Japan for using election to ‘pave groundwork’ for invasion https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/10/23/national/politics-diplomacy/north-korea-blasts-japan-using-election-pave-groundwork-invasion/
BBC News, 23.10.17: Nikkei hits new highs after Japan election http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41717844
Deutsche Welle, 23.10.17: Japan PM Shinzo Abe pledges pressure on North Korea after big election win http://p.dw.com/p/2mKPW
The Guardian, 16.10.17: Japan's general election: all you need to know https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/16/japan-general-election-all-you-need-to-know
The New York Times, 15.10.17: [Opinion] The Death of Liberalism in Japan https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/15/opinion/liberalism-japan-election.html
Reuters, 25.10.17: Japan Abe's post-election policy targets wages, delays fiscal reform https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKBN1CU170
EPRS: At a Glance, October 2017: Japan: Shinzō Abe wins a new mandate http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2017/608792/EPRS_ATA(2017)608792_EN.pdf

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