Ishiba says LDP, Komeito will try to retain power

Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru said his party's coalition will seek to stay in power, despite suffering a crushing blow in the Lower House election. Ishiba vowed to bring in major reforms to regain the public's trust. The Liberal Democratic Party secured 191 seats, far below the 247 it had going into the election. Its coalition partner Komeito won 24 seats.

Together, the two parties fell short of the 233 they needed to secure a majority. That had been Ishiba's benchmark for victory. He also said he will try to work with other parties in the House. However, the Constitutional Democratic Party CDP, the largest opposition party, is also courting the other camps to counter the coalition. The Lower House will vote for Prime Minister in the coming weeks.