Abe's ruling coalition stays in power, but pro-revision...

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party and allied forces were projected to fall short of a critical two-thirds majority of the 245-seat Upper House in Sunday’s election, according to NHK — a significant setback in their bid to revise the nation’s postwar Constitution.

Abe’s ruling coalition, however, was set to win enough seats to control a majority in the chamber, with voters apparently prioritizing stability in economic and social welfare policies. Its expected control of the chamber would at least give Abe a semblance of a win, as the figure met the self-imposed “victory line” he set during the campaign.

According to Kyodo News, voter turnout was estimated at 49.42 percent as of 9 p.m., down 5.28 points from the previous Upper House election in 2016.

The low turnout rate probably means that opposition parties had failed to drum up support from swing voters, a key element in recent national elections as more and more voters have become individualistic, dropping their loyalty to organizations they belong to.