Polls closed in Japan at 1100 UTC in the country's first general election in three years. The results are expected to give Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi a mandate to continue his economic reform agenda.
NHK says 74% of voters it asked to participate in an exit poll responded. The results show that the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will win between 214 and 241 seats.
Although a number of parties are contesting parliamentary seats, the election is in reality a battle between the LDP-- which is actually conservative -- and the opposition Democrats, a moderate party recently bolstered by a merger with a smaller conservative party.
The Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Koizumi, is expected to maintain its place as the largest entity in the governing coalition -- although its possible it could win an outright majority of the 480 Lower House seats up for grabs. The Democrats are led by former Health Minister Naoto Kan, who has appealed to the public to oust Koizumi, saying he has not accomplished anything of significance in his two-and-a-half years in office.
Koizumi has said he would step down if the LDP and two other coalition partners jointly do not win at least 241 seats.
During a day which saw light rain in much of the country, turnout appears to be the second lowest of the post World War Two-era, counter to predictions that there would be high interest among the electorate.
The National Police Agency says, so far 22 people have been arrested for election law violations. Shortly after ballot boxes were sealed officers raided 200 locations with the majority of the cases involving suspected vote buying.
2003.11.09
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