Former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said the pro-nuclear ruling party of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could lose the next Lower House election if nuclear power becomes the main election issue.
Citing recent gubernatorial election wins for candidates concerned about restarting nuclear power plants in Niigata and Kagoshima prefectures, Koizumi said during a recent interview with Kyodo News, "(Anti-nuclear) opinions are beginning to grow . . . that could influence the (next) House of Representatives election."
If opposition parties unite in fielding anti-nuclear candidates and make a complete phase-out of the country's nuclear plants one of the top election issues, they can defeat the ruling Liberal Democratic Party by tapping into voter fears following the 2011 Fukushima meltdowns, Koizumi said.