Government and ruling coalition leaders breathed a sigh of relief Monday after the Liberal Democratic Party won all three House of Representatives by-elections held Sunday in a possible prelude to July's House of Councilors poll.
The LDP, led by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, enjoyed an unexpected three-seat victory in Sunday's races, owing largely to the strength of solid organized votes of its coalition partner, New Komeito, amid record-low voter turnouts. The Democratic Party of Japan was dealt a severe blow in losing.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda welcomed the three victories, saying the results have given the government a mandate to reform the pension system.