(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is poised to secure two-thirds of the seats in the Lower House election on Sunday.
A total of 1,191 candidates are vying for the 475 seats at stake - 295 from single-seat constituencies and 180 through proportional representation process in 11 regions.
As of 0:00 a.m. (1500 GMT Sunday), public broadcaster NHK projected that the LDP has won 278 seats, and its coalition partner New Komeito has won 31 seats. Exit polls conducted by NHK show that the LDP alone could win more than record 300 seats, and the coalition could secure a two-thirds majority, or 317 seats in the 475-seat strong chamber, which has the power to appoint a prime minister. The largest opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is expected to take up to 87 seats, according to NHK.
Vote counting is underway across the country after polling stations closed at 8 p.m. (1100 GMT), and the official results are expected to be finalized by Monday morning. With the predicted victory, Abe is expected to be reelected as premier during a special parliamentary session and form a new Cabinet as early as Dec. 24.
Appearing on a TV show, Abe said, "The result shows we received public's confidence on our administration in the past two years. I will pursue policies while sincerely listening to the voices of the citizens." Abe made the vote a referendum on his economic policy dubbed "Abenomics" and the decision to delay a planned sales tax hike to 10 percent by 18 months. 60-year-old Abe, who took office two years ago, has promoted growth strategies, but the world's third-largest economy contracted for two quarters in a row since the April sales tax hike, from 5 percent to the current 8 percent.
The second increase was originally set for October 2015. Other key issues include Abe's plan to restart nuclear power and to expand the role of the Self-Defense Forces.
Some 142 million Japanese citizens were eligible to vote. Voter turnout is expected to be around 52 percent, down 7 percentage point from the previous Lower House election in 2012. Before the election, the LDP had 295 seats in the Lower House, and the New Komeito had 31. The DPJ had 62. The ruling coalition controls the Upper House.
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