Japan general election, 2005

:For a breakdown of the results by block district with maps, see Results of Japan general election, 2005

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Japan held a nationwide election to the House of Representatives, the more powerful lower house of the National Diet, on 11 September, 2005, about two years before the end of the term taken from the last election in 2003. The then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called the election after bills to privatize Japan Post were voted down in the upper house (which cannot be dissolved), despite strong opposition within his own Liberal Democratic Party %28Japan%29 (LDP).

Related Topics:
Japan - House of Representatives - Lower house - National Diet - 11 September - 2005 - Last election - 2003 - Prime Minister - Junichiro Koizumi - Privatize - Japan Post - Upper house - Liberal Democratic Party %28Japan%29

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The election handed a landslide victory to Koizumi's LDP, with the party winning 296 seats, the largest share in postwar politics; with its partner, New Komeito, the governing coalition now commands two-thirds majority in the lower house, allowing them to pass legislative bills without the consent of the upper house and to approve amendments to the Constitution, which are then submitted to the upper house and a national referendum. The opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which advocated a change of government during campaign, suffered a devastating loss, winning only 113 seats against 175 seats it held going into the election. The setback led the DPJ leader Katsuya Okada to resign, and raised a question whether the DPJ can remain an alternative to the LDP in the future elections.

Related Topics:
New Komeito - Two-thirds majority - Constitution - Democratic Party of Japan - Katsuya Okada

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The small parties made only small gains or losses, with Koizumi's ally, New Komeito, falling slightly from 34 seats to 31. Of the new parties contesting the election, the New Party Japan fell from three seats to one, while the People's New Party was unchanged at four seats. The Japanese Communist Party held its ground with nine seats, while the Social Democratic Party won seven, a gain of one.

Related Topics:
New Party Japan - People's New Party - Japanese Communist Party - Social Democratic Party

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