Akashian general election, 1970

Akashian general election, 1970

27 June 1970
200 seats in the National Assembly 101 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	88,8%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Masaki Ōshiro Tarō Yukimura Naoko Nemoto Party NU SP NCP Last election 104 seats 50,5% 22 seats 10,0% 20 seats 9,1% Seats won 101 22 14 Seat change 9 6 PR vote 1.364.704 574.612 478.844 % and swing 28,5% 21,8% 12,0% 2,0% 10,0% 0,9% STV vote 2.420.884 551.290 431.445 % and swing 50,5% 50,5% 11,5% 11,5% 9,0% 9,0%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Yōichi Tatsuda Sumio Wakata Makoto Waki Party AP LP NDP Last election 13 seats 6,2% 12 seats 5,4% 11 seats 5,2% Seats won 10 10 9 Seat change 3 2 2 PR vote 306.460 301.672 296.883 % and swing 6,4% 0,2% 6,3% 0,9% 6,2% 1,0% STV vote 263.661 225.310 201.341 % and swing 5,5% 5,5% 4,7% 4,7% 4,2% 4,2%
Most voted party by province
Prime Minister before election Yurika Ehara NU Prime Minister after election Masaki Ōshiro NU

A general election was held in Akashi on 27 June 1970. Following reforms to "open up the system", the National Assembly switched to parallel voting, half elected by nationwide proportional representation, and half elected from constituencies using single transferable vote.

The election was ruled by the aftermath of the Summer of Freedom: Yurika Ehara was retiring as Prime Minister but running in the presidential election, leaving Masaki Ōshiro to lead the party in the National Assembly. While the surge of anti-National Union sentiment in 1968–1969 had benefited the opposition, it was once again fractured by the chaotic disintegration of the protests.

The start of the "siege economy" brought an end to decades of rapid growth, which further polarised the opposition parties. Masaki's low-key personality proved no match for other party leaders, but appealed to a public exhausted by the chaos of the Summer of Freedom and wary of the new economic uncertainty.

Results

General election, 27 June 1970
Party		Party list			Constituency			Total seats	+/-
		PR	%	+/−	STV	%	+/−
	National Union	1.364.704	28,5%	-21,8%	2.420.884	50,5%	+50,5%	101	-9
	Socialist Party	574.612	12,0%	+2,0%	551.290	11,5%	+11,5%	22	±0
	National Cooperative Party	478.844	10,0%	+0,9%	431.445	9,0%	+9,0%	14	-6
	Agrarian Party	306.460	6,4%	+0,2%	263.661	5,5%	+5,5%	10	-3
	Liberal Party	301.672	6,3%	+0,9%	225.310	4,7%	+4,7%	10	-2
	National Democratic Party	296.883	6,2%	+1,0%	201.341	4,2%	+4,2%	9	-2
	Communist Party	292.095	6,1%	+1,1%	191.753	4,0%	+4,0%	9	-1
	Reform Party	287.306	6,0%	+0,8%	134.227	2,8%	+2,8%	8	-3
	United Akashi	277.729	5,8%	+5,8%	119.846	2,5%	+2,5%	7	+7
	Conservative National Party	167.595	3,5%	+1,7%	67.114	1,4%	+1,4%	3	+3
	Social Credit Party	143.653	3,0%	+1,0%	57.526	1,2%	+1,2%	3	+3
	Akashi Renewal Party	129.288	2,7%	+1,0%	47.938	1,0%	+1,0%	2	+2
	Freedom League	119.711	2,5%	+0,9%	38.351	0,8%	+0,8%	1	+1
	Independents	47.884	1,0%	-0,7%	43.144	0,9%	+0,9%	1	-1
Total		4.788.437	100%	—	4.793.829	100%	—	200	—
Registered voters and turnout		5.392.384	88,8%	—	5.392.384	88,9%

• Government: National Union–Socialist Party–National Cooperative Party coalition.

Shocking the public and opposition, Masaki pulled off a final majority for the NU, now down to one seat. The party's over 20% fall in party list votes was compensated by winning a narrow majority of first preference votes in constituencies.

Disappointingly for the opposition, there was no major breakthrough that would end the NU's dominance. The appearance of United Akashi merely added to a crowded centre-right field that already included the National Democratic Party, Reform Party, and Liberal Party. The abolition of the electoral threshold allowed the Akashi Renewal Party and Freedom League to enter the legislature for the first time.

The high polarisation among the electorate resulted in the smallest independent presence in the legislature, with only one seat.

Although Masaki won a majority, he faced an internal fracture within the NU caused by the Summer of Freedom. In an attempt to shore up his position, he formed a coalition with the SP and NCP. This kept him Prime Minister until 1972, when his government lost a budget vote that forced a snap election.