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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Japan awaits key upper house poll | Japan awaits key upper house poll |
| (about 21 hours later) | |
| Final campaigning is under way in Japan ahead of upper house elections set to severely test the embattled Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe. | |
| Half of the seats in the upper house are being contested in Sunday's polls. | Half of the seats in the upper house are being contested in Sunday's polls. |
| Support for Mr Abe has plummeted in recent months and opinion polls predict a grim result for his Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling coalition. | Support for Mr Abe has plummeted in recent months and opinion polls predict a grim result for his Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling coalition. |
| If the coalition suffers a heavy defeat, the prime minister could face calls for his resignation. | If the coalition suffers a heavy defeat, the prime minister could face calls for his resignation. |
| Mr Abe has acknowledged that he faces an uphill battle. | Mr Abe has acknowledged that he faces an uphill battle. |
| "Please let us win. We cannot lose now," he told voters at one election rally in Tokyo. "It is a tough fight, but we want to do our best to the end." | "Please let us win. We cannot lose now," he told voters at one election rally in Tokyo. "It is a tough fight, but we want to do our best to the end." |
| LDP backing | LDP backing |
| The ruling coalition needs to win 64 of the 121 seats being contested to retain its upper house majority. | The ruling coalition needs to win 64 of the 121 seats being contested to retain its upper house majority. |
| Q&A: Upper house polls | Q&A: Upper house polls |
| But accordingly to the latest polls this looks unlikely. | But accordingly to the latest polls this looks unlikely. |
| They show higher levels of support for the main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, while support for Mr Abe and his Cabinet remains at around the 30% mark. | They show higher levels of support for the main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, while support for Mr Abe and his Cabinet remains at around the 30% mark. |
| A defeat in the polls would not have direct implications for Mr Abe, because his ruling coalition has a sizeable majority in the more powerful lower house. | A defeat in the polls would not have direct implications for Mr Abe, because his ruling coalition has a sizeable majority in the more powerful lower house. |
| And several top LDP lawmakers have backed him in recent days, emphasising that this election is not a referendum on his leadership. | And several top LDP lawmakers have backed him in recent days, emphasising that this election is not a referendum on his leadership. |
| But a heavy defeat for the ruling coalition could pile pressure on Mr Abe and make it impossible for him to remain in office, some experts say. | But a heavy defeat for the ruling coalition could pile pressure on Mr Abe and make it impossible for him to remain in office, some experts say. |
| Pension scandal | Pension scandal |
| Mr Abe became prime minister in September 2006, following popular leader Junichiro Koizumi's decision to step down. | Mr Abe became prime minister in September 2006, following popular leader Junichiro Koizumi's decision to step down. |
| He started with solid levels of public support and won initial praise for rebuilding ties with China that had been damaged by Mr Koizumi's visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine. | He started with solid levels of public support and won initial praise for rebuilding ties with China that had been damaged by Mr Koizumi's visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine. |
| But in recent months his administration has been hit by a series of ministerial gaffes and scandals. Two of his ministers were forced to step down and one committed suicide. | But in recent months his administration has been hit by a series of ministerial gaffes and scandals. Two of his ministers were forced to step down and one committed suicide. |
| A nationwide pensions scandal affecting millions of payments has also caused huge concern and led many voters to question his leadership skills. | A nationwide pensions scandal affecting millions of payments has also caused huge concern and led many voters to question his leadership skills. |
| "I supported Koizumi - I had hope. I thought he could get things done," 59-year-old voter Tomio Hatae told the Associated Press news agency. | "I supported Koizumi - I had hope. I thought he could get things done," 59-year-old voter Tomio Hatae told the Associated Press news agency. |
| "But Abe, he doesn't seem to have his own way of thinking," he said. | "But Abe, he doesn't seem to have his own way of thinking," he said. |