Quotes
Voters chose which party would be the best fit to push for political reforms. That's why we've received this much support,
Noda said, according to Kyodo
We are receiving severe judgement,
Ishiba told national broadcaster NHK earlier Sunday while it was still unclear whether the coalition would secure enough seatsIf we are unable to obtain a majority as a result of severe public judgement, we will ask as many people as possible to cooperate with us,
the LDP's election chief Shinjiro Koizumi told reportersWe were far from gaining the public's understanding" over the slush funds scandal
Ishiba said
We now truly are on the eve of a change of government.”
Local media reported party leader Yoshihiko Noda, himself a former PM, as saying
This election has been very tough for us,
a sombre-looking Ishiba told TV Tokyo
This is not the end, but the beginning,
CDPJ leader Yoshihiko Noda told a press conference,The voters’ judgement on the ruling bloc was harsher than expected,
said Saisuke Sakai, senior economist at Mizuho Research and TechnologiesEven if I were to switch to an opposition party, it’s still unclear whether they could push forward reforms, and I don’t know if I can trust them or not at this point,
Ito said
We want to start afresh as a fair, just and sincere party, and seek your mandate,
he told supporters on the eve of the voteThe LDP’s politics are all about quickly implementing policies for those who give them lots of cash,
Noda told supporters on SaturdayIt was a tough fight for the LDP,
Shinjiro Koizumi, the LDP's election chief, told NHK
The DPP is focussed on ultimately making the country better and ensuring financial resources are allocated more appropriately, so that's why I decided to vote for them,
Keisuke Yoshitomi, a 39-year-old office worker, said after casting his vote at a polling station in TokyoWith a more fluid political landscape, pushing through economic policies that include raising taxes, such as to fund defense spending, will become much harder,
Masafumi Fujihara, associate professor of politics at Yamanashi UniversityI think these results are the outcome of an unsparing verdict on the LDP... coming from various factors, including how we have not been able to settle the issue of political money issue,
Shinjiro Koizumi, the LDP's election chief, told NHK
I assure you, our country will achieve great success in the next four years,
Ivanishvili said
Our democracy and future in Europe is at stake. We can not become puppets of the Kremlin,
Khvedelidze addedIt is a rare case in the world that the same party achieves such success in such a difficult situation – this is a good indicator of the talent of the Georgian people,
Ivanishvili, widely believed to be the country’s most powerful figure, said just minutes after polls closed.jpg)
The government is openly pledging to transform Georgia into a one-party state – a move unprecedented in modern Georgian history,
said Tina Khidasheli, chair of the non-governmental organisation Civic Idea and a former defence ministerI certainly don’t expect Georgians to tolerate electoral fraud. People won’t stand by as their future is taken from them,
said Bokuchava