Month: November 2021

TOKYO– Voting for Japan’s general election began yesterday morning, with Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, seeking a public mandate for his policies, regarding COVID-19, the economy and security.

 

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, Komeito aim to keep a majority in the House of Representatives, the powerful lower chamber of parliament.

 

The result of the general election depends on the constituencies where ruling coalition candidates were in close race with those from opposition parties, which have also formed a coalition, in a bid to take the reins of government.

 

Polling stations across the country closed at 8:00 p.m. local time, last night and ballot counting was expected to last late into the night.

 

Media polls suggested that the ruling coalition will retain its majority, taking at least 233 seats in the 465-member lower house, which has more powers over the upper house, with the final say in electing the prime minister, passing state budgets and ratifying international treaties.

 

Of the lower house seats, 289 will come from single-member districts, where candidates fight head-to-head for votes. Another 176 will be decided through proportional representation which allocates seats based on parties’ votes in 11 blocks.

 

According to a Kyodo News survey conducted earlier this week, LDP candidates were in close battles with opposition rivals in about 70 single-member districts, as around 40 percent of voters are still undecided.

 

The general election is the first major test for Kishida since he took office on Oct 4. The new prime minister has pledged to stimulate economic growth while redistributing more economic benefits to the middle class, under his vision of “new capitalism.”

 

Under Kishida’s vision, the government plans to secure more hospital beds for COVID-19 patients, as a preparation for a possible sixth wave of infections.

 

Kishida also said, the government will propose a stimulus package within the year to support people and businesses stricken by the pandemic.

 

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and other opposition parties claimed that the government has failed its task of COVID-19 response and that the Abenomics policy, upheld by the ruling LDP has widened the country’s wealth gap, as the policy only promoted corporate earnings and share prices but failed to achieve higher wages.

 

The opposition parties have called for lowering the consumption tax to take off some pressure on low- and middle-class households, allowing married couples to take different surnames and recognising same-sex marriage

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

KANDAHAR– The Taliban’s elusive leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, made his debut in the group’s birthplace, Kandahar on Saturday and visited a religious school there, head of the school, Mawlawi Sayed Ahmad Sayed, said yesterday.

 

“The supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada Sahib, visited Al-Hakimia Madrasa at 10:30 a.m. local time yesterday,” Mawlawi Sayed said.

 

Akhundzada, who has been leading the Taliban movement since 2016, also delivered a 10-minute speech to the students of the Madrasa (religious school) in Kandahar, said Mawlawi Sayed.

 

Another official of the Madrasa said, his two sons, two nephews and his brother accompanied Akhundzada during the visit.

 

When asked if any photo from the supreme leader had been left in the Madrasa, Mawlawi Sayed replied, “the great Ulema (religious scholar) doesn’t like pictures and videos, and the use of cell phones was prohibited during Haibatullah (Akhundzada)’s tour of the Madrasa.”

 

Since Afghanistan’s takeover by the Taliban in mid-Aug, the group’s supreme leader, whose whereabouts is unknown, has not reportedly visited Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul.

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK