Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, right, exchanges agreements of cooperation on Oct. 28 with Keiichi Ishii, the leader of Komeito, the junior coalition partner of Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party. The ruling coalition lost its majority in the Lower House election held the previous day. (Takeshi Iwashita)

Somber and defeated, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will now be forced to seek cooperation with opposition parties to maintain control over the government.

Ishiba acknowledged he received “a very harsh judgment” from the public, following the Oct. 27 Lower House election that erased the majority held by the ruling coalition of his Liberal Democratic Party and junior partner Komeito.

It was the first time since 2009 for the LDP and Komeito to lose control of the Lower House.

Asked if he would remain at his current posts, Ishiba, who is also LDP president, said, “That is certainly the case.”

Political observers expect the LDP to initiate realignment, including a possible partnership with the opposition Democratic Party for the People.

“There are various ways to collaborate, whether through a coalition or non-coalition cooperation,” Ishiba said, without going into specifics.

Although the opposition parties failed to form a united front against LDP-Komeito candidates in the election, they were coordinated in their criticism of the LDP over its funding scandal, an issue that resonated with voters.

The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan emphasized the need for a change of government and significantly increased its strength in the Lower House.

Referring to cooperation with other opposition parties, CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda said, “If there are points of agreement, there may be various ways to cooperate.”

The DPP also made significant gains in the election, increasing its seats fourfold.

DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki expressed a willingness to listen to proposals for possible collaboration, saying he would “cooperate with other parties regardless of whether they are in government or the opposition.”

Ishiba’s goal for the election was to maintain the majority between the LDP and Komeito.

Before the election, Ishiba withheld party endorsement from a dozen candidates linked to the funding scandal. Three of them chose not to run in the election.

Additionally, 34 candidates were removed from the LDP’s proportional representation list.

However, it was revealed during the last days of the campaign that LDP headquarters had provided 20 million yen ($130,000) to party branches led by non-endorsed candidates.

Ishiba argued that there were no legal issues with the money, and that the funds were not intended for use by the candidates in their campaigns.

But after the election, the prime minister said, “We did not gain the understanding of the voters.”

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