Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Re-Elected

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been re-elected with a two-thirds majority in a snap ballot.

The vote had been portrayed by Mr Abe as a referendum on his plans to revive the world's third-biggest economy.

The Japanese leader may use his victory to push ahead with tough economic reforms, but with turnout on course for a record low this could weaken his claim of a mandate.

NHK public TV said Mr Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and its junior partner, the Komeito party, were assured more than the 317 seats in the 475-member lower house.

The result is enough to maintain its "super-majority", and smooth the way for its policies through parliament.

However, the LDP was set to fall short of the 295 seats it held before the poll, NHK figures showed.

"I believe the public approved of two years of our 'Abenomics' policies," Mr Abe said in a televised interview.

"But that doesn't mean we can be complacent."

But many voters, doubtful over Mr Abe's plans to generate growth and the opposition's ability to come up with an alternative, stayed at home.

Final turnout has been forecast at 52.4%, a record low. In 2012, when Mr Abe returned to power, turnout was 59.3%.

Hopes for the PM's strategy suffered a setback after the economy slipped into recession following a sales tax rise in April.

In response, Mr Abe delayed a second tax hike to 10% until 2017, raising concerns about how Japan will curb its huge public debt.

Doubts also remain over Mr Abe's ability to tackle more politically-sensitive areas of reform, including deregulation of the labour market, and the highly protected farm sector.

Experts say Mr Abe may also use his fresh four-year term to focus on changing Japan's pacifist constitution to ease limits on the military.

This is likely to cause concern in China and South Korea, where bitter memories of Japan's past militarism remain raw.

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