PM Abe pledges stability as election campaign begins

TOKYO (AP) — Hundreds of candidates took to the streets Tuesday as the official 12-day campaigning period for Japan’s Oct. 22 lower house election kicked off, with Prime Minister (PM) Shinzo Abe’s ruling party facing challenges from regrouped opposition forces.

Up for grabs are 465 seats in the more powerful of Japan’s two-chamber parliament.

Abe pledged his party’s stable leadership as he sought voters’ support, promising a tougher stance on North Korea, as well as social security reform to relieve burdens on younger generations in Japan’s rapidly aging society.

“We should stay unwavering,” Abe said. “It is the policies, rather than a boom or slogans, that can open the future.”

As he did ahead of previous elections since taking office in late 2012, Abe traveled to Fukushima to appeal to voters affected by the nuclear disaster following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan.

Experts say Abe timed his call for an election to solidify his grip within the party at a time when opposition parties were unprepared. Support ratings for Abe’s scandal-tainted government started to pick up while parliament was in recess during the summer. The ruling bloc held a two-thirds majority in the house, meaning winning a simple majority is an easy target for Abe. This would increase his chances for three more years of leadership when his party presidency expires next year.