By Linda Sieg TOKYO, Dec. 14 (Reuters) – The conservative party of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to win the early parliamentary elections on Sunday after a health poll referendum on his economic stimulus policy and the fight against deflation. Polling stations opened at 7:00 am (2200 GMT). The media exit polls will be broadcast at 20:00 (11:00 GMT). Those laws, convened last month, come two years after the return to power of Shinzo Abe. Originally, some had felt that this bet would cost perhaps of seats the party of Shinzo Abe, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). But, according to media projections, the LDP could win more than 300 seats in the 475 that make up the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Diet, the Japanese parliament. It could be the biggest victory of the LDP since its foundation there for almost 60 years. Overall, the LDP and its coalition partner, the Komeito, should retain their “super majority” of two-thirds of the members. According to experts, however, the prime minister’s victory could have a bitter aftertaste. Disgruntled voters increasingly skeptical vis-à-vis its policy, Abenomics as it is nicknamed, but wary opposition could stay home in large numbers. “It is not so much a vote of confidence to Abe and the LDP that vis-à-vis confidence vote of the political opposition,” said Gerry Curtis, a professor at Columbia University. Abe returned to power for a second term as prime minister in 2012 promising to revive a country and an economy suffering from deflation and an aging population. But after rising three points of VAT in April, from 5% to 8%, the Japanese economy fell into recession in the third quarter, despite the three pillars that are Abenomics public spending, ultra monetary policy -accommodante and reforms in the area of deregulation particular. HANDS FREE Last month, Abe decided to postpone to April 2017 the second increase in VAT, to be increased to 10% in October 2015 and to call early elections. ID: nL6N0T81BD Some have wondered how the country would cut its huge public debt, the largest among rich countries. It represents 245% of gross domestic product (GDP). The Prime Minister, whose slogan is “This is the only way”, convened the early voting in order to strengthen its base before tackling unpopular measures, such as restarting nuclear reactors decommissioned after the disaster Fukushima in March 2011 and a change of policy on the diplomatic plan that would divest pacifism adopted by the country after World War II. The LDP had 295 seats and the Komeito 31 in the House of Representatives when it was dissolved for early elections. The main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) had 62 seats. Five seats were removed as part of electoral reform. The DPJ has not benefited from economic uncertainty. Voters remember it is true to its path to power in 2009-2012, when the prime ministe rs had succeeded – three in three years – amid infighting. A victory of the LDP will facilitate the re-election of Shinzo Abe as head of the LDP in September 2015. This would increase his chances of staying in power until 2018. Apart from the local elections in April, the ruling coalition should not end up to the voters before the 2016 election to the House of Councillors (the Senate), where the LDP and Komeito majority. “If Abe wins hands, he will at least have a free hand in politics to Senate in 2016. This will greatly increase the capacity of the government to raise its policy,” said Hideyuki Ishiguro, at Okasan Securities. (With Thomas Wilson, Danielle Rouquié for the French service)
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