Tokyo, Jul 21 (UNI) Voters began casting ballots on Sunday in Japan's upper house election as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks an endorsement of "political stability" to achieve his policy goals, including long-envisioned constitutional reform.
With a total of 370 candidates vying for 124 seats up for grabs, the focus is on whether the ruling bloc and other pro-amendment forces can maintain a two-thirds majority in the House of Councillors, a prerequisite to revising the Constitution for the first time, according to state news agency Kyodo.
Of the 124 contested seats, 74 will be chosen in electoral districts and 50 through proportional representation. The election comes as the six-year term for half of the upper house members will expire July 28.