Candidates backed by the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan are in the lead ahead of three by-elections for the House of Representatives on Sunday.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party fielded its own candidate, Norimasa Nishikori, only in the by-election in the No. 1 constituency of Shimane Prefecture. For the remaining two elections — in Tokyo’s No. 15 and Nagasaki Prefecture’s No. 3 constituencies — the party gave up on running candidates of its own at a time when its intraparty factions are facing strong public criticisms…
