The projections of the legislative in Japan give the prime minister and his party as great winners

MADRID, 10 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

As forecasts anticipated, the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) of the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, and his partner in the government coalition, the Komeito, will obtain more than half of the seats at stake in the upper house of the Japanese Diet (Parliament) in the elections this Sunday, held in the shadow of the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The projections of the official Kyodo news agency and the public broadcaster NHK grant the coalition between 63 and 69 seats, exceeding the 55 necessary to retain a majority in the Chamber of Councillors. The chamber contains 248 seats, of which half plus one were up for grabs in elections that renew 50 percent of the chamber every three years.

Another important fact: the collapse of the main opposition to Kishida, represented in the main Constitutional Democratic Party, which will remain between 13 and 20 seats, 23 less than it had before the vote. The emerging and conservative Initiatives from Japan is forecast to win at least 10, up from the previous six.

It remains to be seen the total number of seats won by the LDP, the Komeito, Initiatives from Japan and the Democratic Party for the People, all parties in favor of an amendment to the pacifist Japanese Constitution. If they all get 82 seats, as at least the NHK projection seems to indicate, they would have a free hand to declare an essential referendum to change the Magna Carta.

Participation in an election in the shadow of Abe's murder also remains to be seen. All the parties defended in unison the holding of elections despite the trauma that the crime has represented. "Elections are the pillar of democracy and democracy must be defended," Kishida said on Friday.

"We cannot give in to violence and for this reason we will continue to fight in the election campaign until the end. I hope that the people of Japan will think about it and work hard to protect our democracy," the prime minister said.