The tripartite coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party, New Komeito and the New Conservative Party have managed to win an "absolute comfortable" majority that will enable them to control all standing committees in the powerful Lower House and chair them as well.
The result in the general election June 25 means smooth sailing in the Diet for the ruling bloc as it tackles the mounting policy tasks ahead. But coalition leaders must mull the meaning of the drubbing they took in several city constituencies, especially the LDP's loss of several veteran lawmakers that included incumbent Cabinet members who failed to be re-elected despite winning more votes than they did in the 1996 general election.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Japan, which achieved a major gain in seats, must consider why many of its former Socialist-affiliated candidates lost and its more conservative members won. The shift in the leftwing-conservative power balance within the DPJ appears to reflect the changing political inclinations of salaried workers in urban districts. These parties need to fully take their election results into account as they assemble their post-election strategies.