Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi expressed hope Monday that his Liberal Democratic Party's strong showing in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election would lead to another victory in the Upper House election next month.
Tokyo voters on Sunday gave Koizumi's LDP 53 of the 127 seats in the capital's assembly, raising the party five seats above its pre-election strength of 48.
Languishing just two months ago under then Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, the LDP was demoralized and facing the prospect of a major loss in the Upper House election in July.
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