Embattled Japan leader vows to cooperate with long-ignored opposition in bid to save his government

TOKYO (AP) — Embattled Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who survived as leader after a major election loss by his governing coalition, promised Friday to work closely with the long-ignored opposition that is now the only way his minority government can stay in power.

Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner Komeito together lost a majority in the 465-seat lower house, the more powerful of Japan’s two-house parliament, in the Oct. 27 elections. He needs support from opposition parties to keep his fragile government alive. The election loss was blamed on voter anger over his party’s financial misconduct, and he is trying to quickly tackle reforms.

“We will thoroughly listen to other parties and form a consensus as broadly as possible as we sincerely and humbly seek to protect the safety and security of the people,” Ishiba said Friday in his first policy speech since his reappointment as prime minister after the election.

At home, he faces tough negotiations with the opposition. The LDP coalition has long forced through its favored legislation by taking advantage of its dominance in parliament, a routine set under ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and criticized as autocratic.

Without a majority, Ishiba will struggle in coming months to gain consent from the opposition on the budget and other legislation, raising worry about a political deadlock. But experts say the situation could also lead to more public debate and transparency in the policy-making process.

Ishiba, known as a critic of the late Abe, may find that his minority government offers a chance to restore a more democratic way of deciding policies.

“I believe the way democracy should be is for each party to reflect diverse voices of the people and