Akashian general election, 1972

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Akashian general election, 1972

← 1970 29 April 1972 1974 →

200 seats in the National Assembly
101 seats needed for a majority
Turnout89,2%
  First party Second party Third party
  Kanson Arahata.jpg Nakano Shigeharu.jpg NaokoNemoto-3.jpg
Leader Tarō Yukimura Seiji Okada Naoko Nemoto
Party SP CP NCP
Last election 22 seats
12,0% PR
11,5% STV
9 seats
6,1% PR
4,0% STV
14 seats
10,0% PR
9,0% STV
Seats won 40 26 25
Seat change Increase 18 Increase 17 Increase 11
PR vote 1.126.301 520.601 590.682
% and swing 22,5%
Increase 10,5%
10,4%
Increase 4,3%
11,8%
Increase 1,8%
STV vote 1.383.493 789.140 499.456
% and swing 27,7%
Increase 16,2%
15,8%
Increase 11,8%
10,0%
Increase 1,0%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
  Yorozuyo Mineko.jpg Kenzo Matsumura 01.jpg
Leader Fumiaki Nonaka Hikaru Katayama Masaki Ōshiro
Party LP AP NU
Last election 10 seats
6,3% PR
4,7% STV
10 seats
6,4% PR
5,5% STV
101 seats
21,8% PR
50,5% STV
Seats won 24 20 17
Seat change Increase 14 Increase 10 Decrease 84
PR vote 435.503 365.422 350.405
% and swing 8,7%
Increase 1,4%
7,3%
Increase 0,9%
7,0%
Decrease 21,5%
STV vote 419.543 424.538 449.510
% and swing 8,4%
Increase 3,7%
8,5%
Increase 3,0%
9,0%
Decrease 41,5%

Akashi-election-general-1972.png
Most voted party by province

Prime Minister before election

Masaki Ōshiro
NU

Prime Minister after election

Tarō Yukimura
SP

A general election was held in Akashi on 29 April 1972. This was a snap election caused by the Masaki Ōshiro government losing a budget vote. According to the Constitution, the new National Assembly was only elected to complete the term of its predecessor.

This was dubbed the "election of vultures" (Miranian: ハゲタカの選挙 Hagetaka no senkyo) due to the dramatic collapse of the National Union, which went from being the largest party in the legislature to a minor party with a loss of 84 seats. Asahi Shinbun famously published an editorial cartoon the day after the election showing the other party leaders as vultures eating the carrion of the deceased NU.

The collapse of the NU brought about a political realignment, which included the consolidation of party blocs. The Akashian left was now ascendant: the Socialist Party and Communist Party became the largest parties in the legislature.

Results

General election, 29 April 1972
Akashi-election-gen-1972.svg
Party Party list Constituency Total
seats
+/-
PR % +/− STV % +/−
Socialist Party 1.126.301 22,5% +10,5% 1.383.493 27,7% +16,2% 40 +18
National Cooperative Party 590.682 11,8% +1,8% 499.456 10,0% +1,0% 25 +5
Communist Party 520.601 10,4% +4,3% 789.140 15,8% +11,8% 26 +17
Liberal Party 435.503 8,4% +1,4% 419.543 8,4% +3,7% 24 +14
Agrarian Party 365.422 7,3% +0,9% 424.538 8,5% +3,0% 20 +10
National Union 350.405 7,0% -21,5% 449.510 9,0% -41,5% 17 -84
National Democratic Party 325.376 6,5% +0,3% 164.820 3,3% -0,9% 11 +2
Reform Party 310.359 6,2% +0,2% 159.826 3,2% +0,4% 10 +2
United Akashi 290.335 5,8% ±0,0% 154.831 3,1% +0,6% 10 +3
Social Credit Party 200.231 4,0% +1,0% 84.908 1,7% +0,5% 4 +1
Conservative National Party 175.202 3,5% ±0,0% 109.880 2,2% +0,8% 3 ±0
Akashi Renewal Party 105.121 2,1% -0,6% 54.940 1,1% +0,1% 2 ±0
Freedom LeagueTax Cuts Party 110.127 2,2% -0,3% 49.946 1,0% +0,2% 2 +1
Independents 100.116 2,0% +1,0% 249.728 5,0% +4,1% 6 +5
Total 5.005.783 100% 4.994.559 100% 200
Registered voters and turnout 5.611.864 89,2% 5.611.864 89,0%
Bloc strength
Bloc Parties Seats
Crimson bloc CP, SCP 30
Pale crimson bloc SP, NU 57
Light yellow bloc NCP, AP 45
Light blue bloc LP, NDP, RP, UA 55
Dark blue bloc CNP, ARP, FL, TCP 7

The SP won a plurality, although of only 40 seats, to the disappointment of party leader Tarō Yukimura. The CP and NCP finished only one seat apart due to their different performances in the party list and constituency vote.

The NU's collapse to 6th place and only 17 seats represents one of the worst defeats for a governing party in Eracura; it would later be surpassed by the Conservative National Party's complete wipeout in 1990.

On the right, the new Tax Cuts Party's hopes of achieving a breakthrough in a unity list with the Freedom League were dashed: the unity list obtained swings of less than 1% and only one extra seat.

The parliamentary mathematics made a left-wing government inevitable. The crimson and pale crimson blocs together had 87 seats, and had already begun cooperating. The light blue bloc had only one possible path to power: forming a coalition with the light yellow bloc, but it would've required independents' support to stay in office. This was a non-starter, as finance minister Naoko Nemoto had no wish to align with the right.

Tarō formed a pale crimsonlight yellow coalition, with a small majority of 102 seats, and relying on outside crimson support.