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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Japan election campaign winds up | Japan election campaign winds up |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Political parties in Japan have been holding their final campaign rallies ahead of Sunday's election for the upper house of parliament. | Political parties in Japan have been holding their final campaign rallies ahead of Sunday's election for the upper house of parliament. |
| Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has asked voters to allow him to press on with his reform programme. | Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has asked voters to allow him to press on with his reform programme. |
| The leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, Ichiro Ozawa, has appealed to voters in rural areas. | The leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, Ichiro Ozawa, has appealed to voters in rural areas. |
| Support for Mr Abe has plummeted recently, and opinion polls predict a poor result for his ruling coalition. | Support for Mr Abe has plummeted recently, and opinion polls predict a poor result for his ruling coalition. |
| 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. |
| But if the coalition suffers a heavy defeat, the prime minister - who came to office last September - could face calls for his resignation. | But if the coalition suffers a heavy defeat, the prime minister - who came to office last September - could face calls for his resignation. |
| His popularity has been hit by a series of scandals, including an admission that the government lost millions of pension records. | His popularity has been hit by a series of scandals, including an admission that the government lost millions of pension records. |
| "We are a responsible party. Please give the LDP power," Mr Abe urged a crowd in central Tokyo, in a speech wrapping up a two-week campaign. | "We are a responsible party. Please give the LDP power," Mr Abe urged a crowd in central Tokyo, in a speech wrapping up a two-week campaign. |
| "Do we move ahead with reform or do we go backward? We will surely push ahead with reform." | "Do we move ahead with reform or do we go backward? We will surely push ahead with reform." |
| Ichiro Ozawa, campaigning in Tottori in western Japan, was quoted by Kyodo news agency as telling voters: "If we fail to win a majority and allow Abe's administration to survive, it means democracy will never take root in Japan." | Ichiro Ozawa, campaigning in Tottori in western Japan, was quoted by Kyodo news agency as telling voters: "If we fail to win a majority and allow Abe's administration to survive, it means democracy will never take root in Japan." |
| 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 poll But according to the latest polls, this looks unlikely. | |
| They show higher levels of support for the Democratic Party, while support for Mr Abe and his cabinet remains at about the 30% mark. | They show higher levels of support for the Democratic Party, while support for Mr Abe and his cabinet remains at about the 30% mark. |
| Several top LDP lawmakers have backed Mr Abe in recent days, emphasising that this election is not a referendum on his leadership. | Several top LDP lawmakers have backed Mr Abe 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 pension scandal affecting millions of payments has also caused huge concern and led many voters to question his leadership skills. | A nationwide pension scandal affecting millions of payments has also caused huge concern and led many voters to question his leadership skills. |