US President Donald Trump congratulated Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on her coalition’s election victory and wished her “great success in advancing your conservative agenda of peace through strength” in a social media post on Sunday.
“Congratulations to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her coalition on a landslide victory in today’s very important vote,” Trump wrote on TRUTH social media.
The US president said Takaichi “is a highly respected and very popular leader”. He added: “Sanae’s brave and wise decision to call an election has paid off.”
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“Her party now controls the legislature and holds a HISTORIC TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY for the first time since World War II,” Trump noted.
He said it was “an honor to support you (Sanae) and your coalition.” Trump also wished her “great success.”
“I wish you great success in advancing your conservative Peace through Strength agenda. The wonderful people of Japan who voted with such enthusiasm will always have my strong support,” Trump wrote.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for her “landmark victory”.
Prime Minister odi na X wrote: “On the occasion of your breakthrough victory in the general election to the House of Representatives, I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to Your Excellency Sanae Takaichi.”
“The special strategic and global partnership between Japan and India plays an important role in promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the world,” he added.
“Under the excellent leadership of Your Excellency, I am confident that friendly relations between Japan and India will be further developed to an even higher level in the future,” PM Modi said.
The Japanese Prime Minister’s party secures an over-half majority
Takaichi, Japan’s first female leader, won an election on Sunday, paving the way for promised tax cuts that spooked financial markets and military spending aimed at fighting China.
In a televised interview with public broadcaster NHK after her sweeping victory, Takaichi said she was now ready to push for policies to make Japan strong and prosperous.
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Citing vote count results, NHK said Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) alone had secured 316 seats by Monday morning, comfortably surpassing the 261-member absolute majority in the 465-member lower house, Japan’s more powerful bicameral parliament, the AP reported.
This is a record since the party was founded in 1955 and surpasses the previous record of 300 seats won in 1986 by the late Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakason.
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With 36 seats won by its new ally, the Japan Innovation Party, Takaichi’s governing coalition won 352 seats.
The ultra-conservative Takaichi, who took office as Japan’s first female leader in October, has pledged to “work, work, work” and her style, which is seen as both playful and tough, resonates with younger fans who say they were previously uninterested in politics.
(With input from agencies)
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