Japanese House of Councillors election, 2013

The Sangiin - election in 2013, formally the " 23 regular election of Sangiinabgeordneten " (Japanese第23回 参议院 议员 通常 选 挙dai - nijūsan -kai Sangiin Giin tsūjō Senkyo ), the Japanese councils House ( Sangiin ), the House of Lords ( join) of the National Parliament ( Kokkai ), took place on 21 July, 2013, the official campaign began on July 4.

To select half of the 242 deputies stood for a six-year term in a grave electoral system: 73 are determined by non-communicable Einzelstimmgebung in the 47 Präfekturwahkreisen, 48 in nationwide proportional representation with preferential vote. After a passed in 2012 re-allocation of mandates of the prefectures of Kanagawa and Osaka three deputies, Fukushima and Gifu choose now four instead of each one instead of two. In standing for election, elected in 2007 half the Democratic Party had been the strongest party despite numerous party outlets.

• 2.1 Constituencies
• 2.2 of proportional representation

Background

Since December 2012, ruled a coalition cabinet of Liberal Democratic Party ( LDP) and Kōmeitō under the leadership of Prime Minister Abe Shinzō, which enjoyed high approval ratings in some polls over 70%. The coalition decreed since 2012 Shūgiin - election by a two- thirds majority in the House, but not a majority in Sangiin, a so-called Nejire Kokkai ( " Twisted Parliament ").

Several major elections were held in the weeks prior to the regular election held Sangiin: Sangiin a by-election in Yamaguchi Prefecture on April 28 for not standing for election in July, half of the chamber, the sovereign won Kiyoshi Ejima (LDP ), the gubernatorial election in Shizuoka in the LDP -based Ichirō Hirose knocked off incumbent Heita Kawakatsu defeated on June 16, and the prefecture election in Tokyo on June 23, when won all candidates of LDP and Kōmeitō.

The previously very restrictive rules for the election campaign via the Internet have been eased by a change in legislation in April 2013. Among other things, the candidates may now update during the official election campaign their websites and blogs. A similar law had been discussed prior to the 2010 Sangiin - choice, but not adopted in time and not resumed in the following Nejire Kokkai.

Starting position

In the not to choose stationary half the coalition parties had over 59 members of parliament, the opposition parties over 62 in the standing for election half of them held before the election the opposition with 72 seats compared to 44 for the government - five seats are vacant - a clear majority:

• Liberal Democratic Party
• Kōmeitō
• Democratic Party
• Seikatsu no Tō
• Midori no Kaze
• Minna no Tō
• Nippon Ishin no Kai
• Japanese Communist Party
• Social Democratic Party
• Other ( Kaikaku, Daichi, Shadaitō )
• Non-party
• Vacant

12 7 16 3 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 / -1: Constituency chooses an MP from 2013, more / less

271 candidates competed for the 73 constituency seats to the 48 proportional representation seats competed for twelve parties with a total of 162 candidates. The LDP turned 49 constituency and 29 proportional representation candidates who Kōmeitō has four candidates in the constituencies and 17 nominated for the proportional representation 99 candidates of the ruling coalition. In order to achieve an overall government majority (122 seats) and to terminate the nejire Kokkai, had to be chosen at least 63 of these candidates. A two-thirds majority (162 seats), which would be needed for a target of Abe constitutional amendment, the coalition could not be achieved without additional partners alone, even if all of its 99 candidates had been selected. Open a constitutional amendment in principle are particularly Ishin no Kai and Minna no Tō, but also some members of the Democratic Party; rejected on principle it is mainly by the left parties JCP and SDP.

Result

• LDP: 115
• DPJ: 59
• Kōmeitō: 20
• Minna: 18
• JCP: 11
• Ishin: 9
• SDP: 3
• Seikatsu: 2
• Other: 2
• Independent: 3

The governing coalition won 76 seats, and has thus a total of 135 seats again in the future a majority in Sangiin. Of the 31 Einmandatswahlkreisen the LDP won 29, in the constituencies with three or more mandates all twelve candidates of LDP and Kōmeitō were chosen in Tokyo, the LDP won two mandates for the first time in more than two decades. The Democratic Party remained in many multi- mandate constituencies without a mandate, including Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, where the Communist Party of Japan - after several elections without direct mandates - won one seat each. Of the 48 proportional representation seats 25 went to the government parties, 23 to the opposition.

Voter turnout dropped to the third lowest value in elections to Sangiin since 1947. During direct dial it was 52.61 %, a decline of more than five points over 2010. The only prefectural constituency in which the participation of over 2010 by about a point at 53, by 43%, Okinawa was. Was highest participation with over 60 % in the prefectures of Yamagata and Shimane. Used more than ever, was the possibility of early voting: A total of 12.9 million voters had cast their vote until July 20. In proportional representation, voter turnout was 52.61 % nationally also.

For explanation of decimal places, see Elections in Japan # vote.

Constituencies

• Liberal Democratic Party
• Kōmeitō
• Democratic Party
• Minna no Tō
• Nippon Ishin no Kai
• Japanese Communist Party
• Social Democratic Party
• Okinawa Shakai Taishūtō
• Non-party

In multi- mandate constituencies from left to right in descending order of votes

18 7 7 6 5 4 1

Proportional representation

In proportional representation, the Democratic Party fell to third place behind the Kōmeitō. The candidates with the most preference votes were:

Constitutionality

The branch of the superior court Okayama Hiroshima was the lack of equality of the election in November of 2013 unconstitutional and declared the election in Okayama Prefecture constituency in a first for Sangiin - election decision also invalidated. Decisions of other high courts - similar complaints were made for all 47 prefectural constituencies - and in the last instance of the Supreme Court are pending.