Abe’s party suffers historic defeat in Tokyo election

Support for Prime Minister slumps

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, who is the current leader of the newly-formed Tomin First no Kai (Tokyo Residents First) party, gestures beside a green "rose" used to mark the names of candidates who won seats in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election on July 2, 2017. Tokyo residents went to the polls on July 2 in a big test for embattled Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose ruling Liberal Democratic Party is facing a powerful challenge from the megacity's popular governor for control of the local assembly. / AFP PHOTO / KAZUHIRO NOGI

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party suffered an historic defeat in an election in the Japanese capital on Sunday, signalling trouble ahead for the premier, who has suffered from slumping support because of a favouritism scandal.

On the surface, the Tokyo Metropolitan assembly election was a referendum on Governor Yuriko Koike's year in office, but the dismal showing for Mr. Abe’s party is also a stinging rebuke of his administration.

Worst-ever result

Ms. Koike’s Tokyo Citizens First party and its allies were on track for between 73 to 85 seats in the 127-seat assembly, according to exit polls by NHK public TV. Later, vote counts showed the LDP was certain to post its worst-ever result, winning at most 37 seats compared with 57 before the election, NHK said, while Ms. Koike’s party and allies were assured a majority.

Past Tokyo elections have been bellwethers for national trends. A 2009 Tokyo poll in which the LDP won just 38 seats was followed by its defeat in a general election that year, although this time no lower house poll need be held until late 2018.

Ms. Koike, a former LDP member, took office a year ago as the first woman Governor of the capital.