Japanese voters may further weaken PM over nuclear
In the first round of results for nationwide local elections, a pro-nuclear governor was also set to keep his post in Japan's west despite a crisis at a nuclear power plant hit by the tsunami and leaking radiation into the air and sea.
Both are independents but other election results, to be finalised later on Sunday or Monday, could be bad news for Prime Minister Naoto Kan, under fire for his handling of the nuclear crisis, and a boost for rivals who want to seek his resignation once the crisis ends.
The unpopular Kan was already under pressure to step down before the massive earthquake and tsunami struck on March 11, leaving his government to cope with the worst crisis to hit Japan since World War Two.
Many Japanese believe Kan's Democratic Party government should form a "grand coalition" with the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party to deal with the tens of thousands left homeless, a reeling economy and the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.
Observers expect the Democratic Party to lose seats on Sunday, with a heavy loss likely to be blamed on Kan.
"Depending on how badly the Democrats are defeated, the issue of Kan's responsibility could emerge," said Tomoaki Iwai, political science professor at Nihon University.
"Since Kan's departure is said to be a precondition for a grand coalition, such talk could gradually surface."
In Tokyo, exit polls suggested incumbent Shintaro Ishihara, a conservative known for his criticism of China as well as of elite bureaucrats at home, was set to win a fourth term. He was forced to apologise last month after calling Japan's twin disasters last month "divine punishment" for Japanese being egoistic.
"GIVE UP LUXURIES"
Ishihara told national broadcaster NHK he wanted to encourage Tokyo to conserve energy after problems at the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant led to a power shortage in the capital and rolling blackouts.
"People need to give up some luxuries," Ishihara said, calling for shortened hours for "pachinko" pinball parlours and fewer vending machines.
Governors can suggest policies including taxes, but some proposals must be approved by local assemblies.
In the western prefecture of Fukui, incumbent Issei Nishikawa was likely to win despite a challenge from a candidate who wanted to stop plans for new nuclear reactors. At 14 reactors, Fukui has more reactors than any other prefecture in Japan.
Ishihara ran as an independent but is known for his close ties to the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Results for prefectural assemblies and city assemblies, expected later in the day or on Monday, could offer more clues on voter sentiment for Kan and his Democratic Party.
Kan saw his voter support slump to around 20 percent and his grip on power weaken even before the March 11 earthquake, due to policy changes and perceived missteps in diplomatic rows with China and Russia.
His ratings have risen to around 30 percent since the March 11 disasters but a majority of voters are unhappy with his handling of the nuclear disaster.
Kan is unlikely to be forced out during the nuclear crisis, say analysts. The crisis could last months as engineers struggle to regain control of the crippled nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant north of Tokyo.
Kan's Democrats have a big majority in parliament's lower house but need opposition help in the upper chamber. Before the crisis, opposition parties in the upper house were blocking budget bills to try and force a snap election.
Kan's eventual resignation could conceivably clear the way for a rejigged ruling coalition, and that would break a parliamentary deadlock that has kept Japan from crafting policies to address the country's most profound problems, a fast-ageing society and huge public debt.
(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Linda Sieg and Chisa Fujioka; Editing by Daniel Magnowski)