adminTokyo — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a new term as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party yesterday after facing no opposition for the job. He told reporters afterwards that he would push his ongoing economic revival plan, saying “Abenomics is still partway through.”
The party named Abe president after no other lawmakers filed applications to run against him in an election that had been set for September 20. Candidates had to gain support from 20 other lawmakers in the party to run.
Abe’s current, three-year term as LDP president ends on September 30. His new term will run until September 30, 2018. Abe took office after a general election in December 2012 that vanquished the opposition Democratic Party of Japan. He also served as prime minister in 2006-2007.
With other parties in disarray, the Liberal Democrats and their coalition partner the Komei party hold a two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament and can override the opposition on most legislation. — AP
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