In 1980, the Liberal Democratic Party had been in power for twenty-five years since its founding, but after its setback in the previous year’s election, it had fallen into a prolonged internal struggle between the mainstream faction supporting Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira and the anti-mainstream factions opposed to him.
Against this backdrop, a no-confidence motion submitted by the opposition unexpectedly passed because of the mass absence of anti-mainstream LDP members, leading to another general election just over eight months after the previous one. Since neither side had expected the motion to pass, it came to be known as the so-called “Happening Dissolution.”
At first, the LDP was widely seen as being at a disadvantage because of its internal divisions. But when Prime Minister Ohira suddenly died during the campaign, the party rallied, public sympathy shifted in its favor, and it went on to win the election.
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In 1980, the Liberal Democratic Party had been in power for twenty-five years since its founding, but after its setback in the previous year’s election, it had fallen into a prolonged internal struggle between the mainstream faction supporting Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira and the anti-mainstream factions opposed to him.
Against this backdrop, a no-confidence motion submitted by the opposition unexpectedly passed because of the mass absence of anti-mainstream LDP members, leading to another general election just over eight months after the previous one. Since neither side had expected the motion to pass, it came to be known as the so-called “Happening Dissolution.”
At first, the LDP was widely seen as being at a disadvantage because of its internal divisions. But when Prime Minister Ohira suddenly died during the campaign, the party rallied, public sympathy shifted in its favor, and it went on to win the election.