Abe's coalition cruises to big win in Japan election, turnout feeble
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition cruised to a big election win on Sunday, but feeble turnout could weaken his claim of a mandate for policies including reflationary steps to revive the economy.
Most media exit polls showed Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner, the Komeito party, winning more than 317 seats in the 475-member lower house, enough to maintain its "super-majority" that smoothes parliamentary business.
But many voters, doubtful both of the premier's "Abenomics" strategy to end deflation and generate growth and the opposition's ability to come up with a better plan, stayed at home, putting turnout on track for a record low, interim figures showed.
