TOKYO, July 21. /TASS/. Muneo Suzuki, known as a supporter of the development of relations with Russia, received a deputy mandate after Sunday's elections to the upper house of parliament, in which he ran for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Kyodo News agency reported.
Before the polls, Suzuki had a mandate as an independent deputy. To participate in these elections from the LDP, he resigned his seat and stood as a candidate on party lists. By including Suzuki in its ranks, the ruling party expects to improve its results in the electoral district in the northernmost Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido that is not far from Russia. Suzuki enjoys extensive voter support in this region.
At night, when the votes were still being counted, but it was already obvious that the ruling bloc was losing the election, Suzuki told reporters that he would abstain from polls from now on.
"I will no longer participate in the elections. With this statement today, I draw a line under my name," he said, announcing the end of his political career. There have been no new comments on this topic since it became known that he had finally entered parliament. Suzuki received the most recent mandate from the LDP under the party list system.
Suzuki is known for his ties to Russia. For instance, he advised Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Sugu on relations with Russia during their time as prime ministers. He also met with acting Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba several times and discussed issues related to Russia with him.
Suzuki has repeatedly condemned the Japanese government's position on Ukraine and said that Tokyo is following US policy on this issue too much. In October 2023, he visited Russia, becoming the first Japanese MP to visit the Russian Federation after the start of the special operation in Ukraine. The trip without proper notification and comments by the Russian media provoked criticism from the Japan Renewal Society party, of which he was a member. As a result, Suzuki left it, explaining this by disagreements over relations with Russia. On June 11, delivering a welcoming speech at a reception at the Russian Embassy in Tokyo on the occasion of Russia Day, Suzuki said he would continue to be a friend of Russia regardless of criticism, and would work "as a bridge between Russia and Japan."
In the Sunday’s elections, the ruling bloc consisting of the LDP and the Komeito party lost its majority in the upper house of parliament. This is the second consecutive defeat for the ruling bloc led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Last fall, he lost his majority in the key lower house of parliament, but thanks to disagreements in the opposition camp, he was able to form a minority government and remain in power. Some LDP members, along with opposition parties, said that Ishiba should take responsibility for the electoral debacle and resign. The prime minister, although he called the election results extremely difficult for his party, made it clear that he was going to continue working as head of government and LDP chairman.