Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has lost a majority in the lower house of parliament for the first time since 2009 following snap elections on Sunday, Japan's national broadcaster NHK reported.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's LDP remains the top party in Japan's parliament, with no change of government expected. However, the results create political uncertainty as the LDP may need to find a third coalition partner beyond its existing partner, the Komeito party, as the two are projected to fall short of securing the 233 seats needed for a majority.

"We are receiving severe judgement," Ishiba told NHK on Sunday, adding that voters "expressed their strong desire for the LDP to do some reflection and become a party that will act in line with the people's will."

The results leave the make-up of the future government very uncertain as Japan wrestles with economic setbacks and faces growing assertion from China. 

In Japan's previous general election in 2021, the LDP won a majority in its own right, with 259 seats in parliament's lower house. Komeito had 32.

Snap election follows slush fund scandal

Ishiba, a former defense minister, called the snap election after he was narrowly selected to lead the LDP in September.

Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stood down in August, after his government was rocked by a number of scandals.

In late 2023, it was revealed that dozens of LDP politicians had for years been building up secret slush funds to the tune of 600 million yen ($4.1 million, €3.7 million).

Kishida dismissed four members of his Cabinet, and a series of arrests of parliamentary aides and accountants were made as the full scale of the scandal unfolded.

However, voters in one of the world's top economies have continued to be dismayed by the fallout from the slush fund scandal and have been rankled by rising prices in the country.

Some pre-election polls already suggested that the LDP and Komeito might struggle to get the lower house seats needed for a majority.

With Ishiba having set this threshold as his main objective, missing it would undermine his position in the LDP and could require the ruling party to find other coalition partners or lead a minority government.

zc/ab (AFP, AP, Reuters)