国际英语资讯:Voting begins in Japans upper house election
<p><span word="TOKYO">TOKYO</span>, <span word="July">July</span> 21-- <span word="Voters">Voters</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="Japan">Japan</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="casting">casting</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="ballots">ballots</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Sunday">Sunday</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="upper">upper</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="election">election</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="barometer">barometer</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="opinion">opinion</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Prime">Prime</span> <span word="Minister">Minister</span> <span word="Shinzo">Shinzo</span> <span word="Abe">Abe</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="six">six</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="power">power</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="parts">parts</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>, <span word="polling">polling</span> <span word="stations">stations</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="close">close</span> <span word="at">at</span> 8:00 <span word="p">p</span>.<span word="m">m</span>. <span word="local">local</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="vote">vote</span> <span word="counting">counting</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="start">start</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="soon">soon</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="voting">voting</span> <span word="ends">ends</span>.</p><p><span word="Members">Members</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="upper">upper</span> <span word="house">house</span> <span word="serve">serve</span> <span word="six">six</span>-<span word="year">year</span> <span word="terms">terms</span>, <span word="with">with</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="seats">seats</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="grabs">grabs</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="years">years</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="Sunday">Sunday</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="election">election</span>, 124 <span word="seats">seats</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="grabs">grabs</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="newly">newly</span> <span word="added">added</span>.</p><p><span word="With">With</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="total">total</span> <span word="of">of</span> 370 <span word="candidates">candidates</span> <span word="vying">vying</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="seats">seats</span>, <span word="key">key</span> <span word="platform">platform</span> <span word="issues">issues</span> <span word="include">include</span> <span word="amending">amending</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Constitution">Constitution</span>, <span word="hiking">hiking</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="consumption">consumption</span> <span word="tax">tax</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="state">state</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="pension">pension</span> <span word="system">system</span>.</p><p><span word="Abe">Abe</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="victory">victory</span> <span word="line">line</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="Liberal">Liberal</span> <span word="Democratic">Democratic</span> <span word="Party">Party</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="coalition">coalition</span> <span word="partner">partner</span> <span word="Komeito">Komeito</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="maintain">maintain</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="majority">majority</span>, <span word="or">or</span> 123 <span word="seats">seats</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="slots">slots</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> 245-<span word="seat">seat</span> <span word="chamber">chamber</span>.</p><p><span word="Holding">Holding</span> 70 <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="seats">seats</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="uncontested">uncontested</span> <span word="half">half</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="coalition">coalition</span> <span word="needs">needs</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="win">win</span> 53 <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="control">control</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="upper">upper</span> <span word="house">house</span>.</p>
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