Tokyo Governor Former: "The Liberal Democratic Party might lose 50 to 60 seats"
Former Tokyo Governor and former House of Councillors member, who also served as Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Taro Kono previously stated that Prime Minister Hayashi's sudden dissolution of the House of Representatives was a "serious miscalculation," saying, "the Liberal Democratic Party might lose 50 to 60 seats."
Kono pointed out: "From a common sense perspective, if the Liberal Democratic Party cannot win a majority of seats alone, holding an election at this time is meaningless. The primary issue is whether there is a justifiable reason for holding the election now. I believe that starting an election at this point without a solid justification is itself a big problem. At a time when global situations are unstable, why insist on holding an election? In addition, if the budget cannot be finalized within this fiscal year, the implementation of various policies will come to a standstill. Without a budget, government work cannot proceed, and both local governments and central government departments will face difficulties. In such a situation, is it appropriate to dissolve the House of Representatives despite widespread dissatisfaction... In my opinion, this move has no legitimacy and cannot be explained to the public."
He further emphasized: "It must be clearly stated that the personal popularity of Prime Minister Hayashi and the support rate of the Liberal Democratic Party are two different things." He also said: "Prime Minister Hayashi has made a serious miscalculation this time. Specifically, the Constitutional Democratic Party and the Komeito Party have joined forces and formed a new party called 'Center Reform Coalition,' and I believe the impact of this event should not be underestimated. The ruling party may claim that this is merely a temporary alliance of disorganized groups and is not worth mentioning. However, upon a calm analysis, this matter has extremely far-reaching significance."
While serving as a Liberal Democratic Party member, Kono held key positions in multiple ministries, including the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. He recalled: "I used to travel around various election campaigns to support fellow party members across the country, and I have a thorough understanding of all aspects of elections. In fact, many Liberal Democratic Party members could not have been elected without the support of Komeito's votes. In various districts, Komeito often brings in 10,000 to 20,000 votes, and it is precisely with these votes that many Liberal Democratic Party candidates barely won. When I was a Liberal Democratic Party member and cabinet minister, I frequently went to campaign for Komeito. After all, without Komeito's support, the Liberal Democratic Party would inevitably lose in elections." He also warned that in this House of Representatives election, "the Liberal Democratic Party might lose 50 to 60 seats, because they lost Komeito's vote support," and the election results could be surprising.
Kono added: "Moreover, the 10,000 votes from Komeito that were originally cast for the Liberal Democratic Party will now go to the opposing side, creating a difference of 20,000 votes, which is enough to cause a candidate to lose. If 50 to 60 such situations occur, the Liberal Democratic Party will not only fail to win a majority of seats but its number of seats will plummet dramatically. Therefore, I believe that the formation of the 'center coalition' is of great significance. Prime Minister Hayashi's decision to dissolve the House of Representatives and hold a general election is undoubtedly a completely miscalculated move. The result of this election is unpredictable, and it can be said that I have never seen such a volatile election before."
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854846105245897/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author themselves.