Japanese general election, 1993

Japanese general election, 1993

1990 ← 23 July 1993 → 1996

All 511 seats to the House of Representatives of Japan 256 seats needed for a majority   First party Second party   Leader Morihiro Hosokawa Kiichi Miyazawa Party New Party Liberal Democratic Alliance 8-party Alliance Last election — 275 seats, 46.14% Seats won 258 223 Seat change +258 -52 Popular vote 35,356,819 22,999,646 Percentage 56.30% 36.62%

Prime Minister before election Kiichi Miyazawa Liberal Democratic Prime Minister-designate Morihiro Hosokawa 8-party Alliance

Japan

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Japan held a nationwide election to the House of Representatives, the more powerful lower house of the National Diet, on July 18, 1993.

Overview

The consumption tax and the Recruit scandal seriously affected the popularity of the long-time ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Along with the opposition MPs, members of some factions of the LDP cast a vote of no confidence against prime minister Kiichi Miyazawa; in response Miyazawa decided to dissolve the House of Representatives. Some LDP dissidents then left the party and formed new parties.

Results

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party lost its overall majority for the first time since 1983 and also failed to form the government for the first time since 1955. They were replaced by an eight-party alliance headed by Morihiro Hosokawa, who was elected prime minister.

 Summary of the 18 July 1993 Japanese House of Representatives election results

Alliances and parties		Candidates	Votes	%	+/-	Seats	+/- (last gen. election)	+/- (dissolution)
	Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Jiyūminshutō	285	22,999,646	36.62%	9.49	223	52	1
	Japanese Socialist Party (JSP) Nihon Shakaitō	142	9,687,588	15.43%	8.96	70	66	66
	Shinseito Shinseitō ("Renewal Party")	69	6,341,364	10.10%	(10.10)	55	(55)	19
	Komeito Kōmeitō ("Justice Party")	54	5,114,351	8.14%	0.16	51	6	6
	Japan New Party (JNP) Nihon Shintō	57	5,053,981	8.05%	(8.05)	35	(35)	35
	Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) Minshatō	28	2,205,682	3.51%	1.33	15	1	1
	New Party Sakigake Shintō Sakigake ("New Party Harbinger")	16	1,658,097	2.64%	(2.64)	13	(13)	3
	Social Democratic Federation (SDF) Shakaiminshu Rengō	4	461,169	0.73%	0.13	4	0	0
	Non-communist opposition (JSP, center-left opposition & LDP defectors)	370	30,522,232	48.60%	10.53	243	44	2
	Japanese Communist Party (JCP) Nihon Kyōsantō	129	4,834,587	7.70%	0.26	15	1	1
	Others	62	143,486	0.23%	(0.29)	0	(1)	0
	Independents	109	4,304,188	6.85%	0.46	30	9	1
Total (turnout 67.26%)		955	62,804,145	100.00%	0	511	1 (reapportionment)	1