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| Japan exit polls suggest boost for PM Abe in senate election | Japan exit polls suggest boost for PM Abe in senate election |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to increase his majority in the upper house of parliament after elections, exit polls suggest. | Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to increase his majority in the upper house of parliament after elections, exit polls suggest. |
| His coalition is expected to win most of the 121 seats in dispute. | His coalition is expected to win most of the 121 seats in dispute. |
| Mr Abe says voters have approved his economic policies, known as Abenomics. | |
| If he can achieve a two-thirds majority in the upper house to match that in the lower house, he could also hold a referendum on constitutional change, easing constraints on military action. | If he can achieve a two-thirds majority in the upper house to match that in the lower house, he could also hold a referendum on constitutional change, easing constraints on military action. |
| However, Mr Abe, from the Liberal Democratic Party, said it was too early to talk about such reviews. | |
| "I have two more years to my term [as LDP president] and this is a goal of the LDP, so I want to address it calmly," Mr Abe said in a TV interview. | |
| Half of the 242 seats of the upper house were up for grabs. | Half of the 242 seats of the upper house were up for grabs. |
| Public broadcaster NHK said Mr Abe's LDP and its junior coalition partner, the Komeito party, would between them take 67 to 76 of the seats available. | |
| If confirmed, this would increase their majority, as the coalition already controls 77 seats of the other half of the upper house. | If confirmed, this would increase their majority, as the coalition already controls 77 seats of the other half of the upper house. |
| Final results are expected on Monday. | |
| Constitutional changes? | Constitutional changes? |
| The prime minister fought his campaign on his economic record, but the sub-text of the election was the power to amend the constitution, the BBC's Stephen Evans, in Tokyo, said. | |
| Mr Abe is thought to want to change Article 9, the so-called pacifism clause which forbids Japan from fighting wars abroad. It was imposed by the US after Japan was on the losing side in World War Two, 70 years ago. | Mr Abe is thought to want to change Article 9, the so-called pacifism clause which forbids Japan from fighting wars abroad. It was imposed by the US after Japan was on the losing side in World War Two, 70 years ago. |
| Some in Japan view the constraint as unfair, our correspondent says, and the rise of China has reinforced the view on the right that the clause should go. | Some in Japan view the constraint as unfair, our correspondent says, and the rise of China has reinforced the view on the right that the clause should go. |
| The opposition has asked voters to reject any adoption of a more assertive military role. | The opposition has asked voters to reject any adoption of a more assertive military role. |
| Mr Abe based his election campaign on his economic policies, although he has admitted himself that his Abenomics, aimed at ending debilitating deflation, are only "half done". | |
| As the votes were still being counted, he said the results indicated a mandate for his economic policies. | |
| "We were given approval for our mandate to powerfully pursue Abenomics. We would like to continue with our efforts to achieve what we have promised," he said. | |
| This was the first nationwide election since the voting age was lowered from 20 to 18. |