Japan's Abe wins majority of seats in upper house

By Muhammet Nazim Tasci and Ayse Dogru

TOKYO (AA) - Japan’s ruling coalition on Sunday won the majority of seats in the upper house election, according to local media.

However, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s plans to amend the country's constitution have failed as he could not maintain two-thirds majority in the upper house of parliament, Kyodo News reported.

Speaking on the results, Abe welcomed the outcome and said the people have chosen political stability.

"We've secured a mandate to steadily carry out our politics," Kyodo News quoted Abe as saying.

The official results are expected to be announced in a week.

A total of 17.6 million people cast their votes.

Abe, who took office in 2012, said he is not considering seeking another term in the 2021 general elections, and expressed hope to have the chance to amend Japan’s constitution.

If another party supports the current coalition, Abe can achieve the two-thirds needed for the amendment.

Abe-led Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has won five parliamentary elections since 2012.

*Writing by Sena Guler