Japan’s political stage just delivered a high-stakes sequel! Shigeru Ishiba, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), clinched reelection as prime minister on Monday in a nail-biter vote. Think House of Cards meets real-life parliamentary showdowns —it took a runoff in the Diet (Japan’s parliament) to seal the deal after the ruling coalition lost its majority last month.
Ishiba secured 221 votes in the House of Representatives runoff, edging out rival Yoshihiko Noda of the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP). But here’s the twist: the LDP-Komeito coalition now holds just 215 seats, falling short of the 233 needed for control. Talk about a ‘winning on thin ice’ moment .
This rollercoaster began when Ishiba called a snap election in October, hoping to boost his mandate. Instead, voters—fed up with inflation and a slush fund scandal—slashed the LDP’s seat count from 247 to 191. Meanwhile, the CDP surged from 98 to 148 seats. Ouch.
Now, Ishiba faces a divided parliament and mounting pressure to address economic pain points. Can he rally support? Or will opposition gains reshape Japan’s policy playbook? Stay tuned.
NewspaperAmigo – Your Global News Buddy 
—it took a runoff in the Diet (Japan’s parliament) to seal the deal after the ruling coalition lost its majority last month.
.
