Voters put Japanese PM under threat

VOTERS dealt Japan's government a stinging blow in upper house elections yesterday, a reverse that could thwart its ambitions to curb the country's massive public debt and threaten prime minister Naoto Kan's job.

Exit polls showed his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) was set to win just 47 seats and its tiny partner, the People's New Party, none, losing their majority in parliament's upper house.

That was fewer than the 50 seats projected for the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and far short of Mr Kan's goal of winning 54.

The DPJ swept to power in a historic landslide last year, ousting the long-dominant conservative Liberal Democrats. But public backing nosedived due to indecisive leadership and mishandling of a feud over a United States airbase.

Support for the DPJ rebounded when Mr Kan took over last month, but quickly tumbled.