(VOVworld) – The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won 291 of 475 seats in Japan’s Lower House.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. (Photo: Shizuo Kambayashi/Associated Press)

According to official results released Monday, the LDP and its coalition partner the new Komeito party (NKP) controlled 326 seats, more than a two-thirds majority. The victory gives the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a mandate for its agenda of economics, defense, and diplomacy for the next 4 years. Although it lost 4 seats, the seats the LDP gained were mostly unchanged from the previous term because of a 5-seat decrease in the Lower House to ensure fairness. The LDP and NKP can be certain of two things after this election: a monopoly on subcommittee heads and a majority of commissioners on all subcommittees.