Today Japanese voters went to the polls for parliamentary elections that could give a wave of support for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) after the assassination of the former prime minister Shinzo Abe, a key political figure in Japan’s recent history. Abe, the longest-serving modern leader in the country, was shot dead on Friday during a speech in support of a local candidate in the western city of Naraa murder condemned by the political establishment as an attack on democracy itself.
Attack on Shinzo Abe, so the killer killed the former prime minister of Japan
by Carlo Pizzati
Attendance at 11:00 was 10.44%, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the same figure during the last elections of the upper house of 2019, stood at 9.7%. In addition, it is estimated that about 15.3% of voters had voted remotely by Friday, according to government figures. The polls close at 20:00, when the results of the media exit poll are expected. “We just lost Mr. Abe. I wish the LDP would get a lot of votes so that they can run the country steadily,” said Sakae Fujishiro, a 67-year-old retiree who voted for the ruling party in East Edogawa. of Tokyo, quoted by Reuters.
Abe’s body in Tokyo for Japan’s last composed farewell
by Laura Imai Messina
Elections for seats in the upper house, the one with the least powers, are generally seen as a referendum on the current government. Opinion polls prior to the assassination already indicated a strong demonstration for the ruling bloc led by the prime minister Fumio Kishida, a protege of Abe. As the nation mourns, the LDP and its smaller coalition partner Komeito could benefit from a potential wave of sympathy votes, political analysts said.
Amitrano: “Tidy and polite, but there is malaise among the Japanese”
by Anna Lombardi
The murder investigation
Tetsuya Yamagami, the man who shot and killed former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, appeared this morning before prosecutors, must answer for the murder charge. He told police he attempted to make a bomb, in addition to making more hand-crafted guns, one of which was used in the insane act. Kyodo reports, citing investigative sources.
Shinzo Abe, the killer wanted to avenge his mother, reduced to the streets by a religious sect
by Gianluca Modolo
The man ruled out that he had been pushed to the extreme for political reasons, reiterating that his mother had made a “large donation” to a religious organization towards which he harbored a strong grudge, believing it was associated with Abe. This gift had created severe financial problems for the family. A source, Kyodo wrote again, said that Yamagami reported that “initially, I intended to attack a leader of the” religious group, but that he then decided to target Abe.
The police did not provide details on the organization mentioned by Yamagami, several foreign media have speculated that it may be the Unification Church founded by Reverend Moon in South Korea and believed to have been brought to Japan by Abe’s grandfather Nobusuke Kishi. The sect, famous for its mass marriages, was very popular in the Rising Sun in the 1980s.
The funeral for the former prime minister will be held tomorrow in Tokyo. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Japan to pay tribute. This was reported by the US State Department from Bangkok where the secretary is visiting.