2009 Japan General Election: Liveblogging
First and foremost, if you’re not watching already, scroll down to the post below this and watch TPR’s coverage of the election returns live on Livestream or Ustream. The audience is big and growing.
Edit: The links - The broadcast will start at 8:00 p.m., and will be viewable at Livestream: www.livestream.com/tprjp
If you can’t get into the Livestream, we are also broadcasting over Ustream: www.ustream.tv/channel/seijigiri-live
Why?
Because no one else is offering continuous coverage of this earth-shifting election in English.
Big night. Big, big night for the DPJ and the opposition camp in a good way; big night for the LDP and New Komeito in a bad way; very big night for the people of Japan, who should be happy with the enormous symbolic change and, I’d say, victory they’re in the midst of achieving right now.
It’s now just after 9:00 p.m. and the DPJ is exceeding expectations. While estimates of over 300 seats might still be high, they do not seem implausible.
10:00 p.m.
The count:
DPJ: 232
LDP: 48
Komeito: 9
JCP: 2
SDP: 2
PNP: 2
Others: 4
Happiness Realization Party: 0 (But maybe their spirit guides are winning)
Big LDP names are losing: Shoichi Nakagawa, Fumio Kyuma, Yoshiro Mori, Ibuki Bunmei all out.
10:15 p.m.
Aso:”The results of this election have been tough. I take what the people have voiced through this election seriously.”
He also says the LDP will hold a presidential election as soon as possible.
DPJ: 238
LDP: 54
Komeito: 10
JCP: 2
SDP: 2
PNP: 3
Others: 8
10:30 p.m.
Adam Richards and Chris Gunson doing a fantastic job - the Livestream feed is maxed out, Ustream feed has lots of viewers, too. Go to Ustream and catch their analysis.
DPJ has now secured a majority on their own, having passed the 241 mark.
DPJ: 242 (Congrats, Japan!)
LDP: 56
Komeito: 10
JCP: 2
SDP: 2
PNP: 3
Others: 8
What this shows is not only that people are fed up with the LDP, but that they’ve decided to throw their weight behind the DPJ to ensure a change. (How’s the for obvious?)
Turnout seems to have been just shy of 60%, which was lower than expected - could have been the weather, or could just be that it’s hard for a democracy with roughly 104 million voters to draw much more than that.
Record numbers of people voted early and absentee this time.
Rumors that Aso is stepping down as LDP Pres. Not surprising, but still a rumor as far as I know right now.
10:37 p.m.
Crash! Ustream back up in a second, Livestream in a couple min.
Back at 10:40.
Ishishara the younger lost. Nobuteru might be next.
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