Japan's government in flux after election gives no party majority

The makeup of Japan’s future government was in flux after voters punished Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s scandal-tainted ruling coalition in a Sunday election.

TOKYO — The makeup of Japan’s future government was in flux on Monday after voters punished Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s scandal-tainted ruling coalition in a weekend election, leaving no party with a clear mandate to lead the world’s fourth-largest economy.

The uncertainty sent the yen currency to a three-month low as analysts prepared for days, or possibly weeks, of political wrangling to form a government and potentially a change of leader.

It comes as the country faces economic headwinds, a tense security situation fueled by an assertive China and nuclear-armed North Korea, and a week before U.S. voters head to the polls in another unpredictable election.

“We cannot allow not even a moment of stagnation as we face very difficult situations both in our security and economic environments,” a defiant Ishiba said at a news conference held Monday, pledging to continue as premier.

Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner Komeito took 215 seats in the lower house of parliament, down from 279 seats, as voters punished the incumbents over a funding scandal and a cost-of-living crunch. Two cabinet ministers and Komeito’s leader, Keiichi Ishii, lost their seats.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/japan-government-flux-election-gives-no-party-majority-rcna177550

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