Voting under way in Japan lower house race as ruling bloc eyes victory

Voting got under way Sunday in Japan's House of Representatives election, in which the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to achieve a solid victory in the face of a divided opposition.Recent opinion polls have suggested the coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito will maintain a comfortable majority in the lower house. The ruling bloc is likely to capitalize on the win by pressing ahead with debate on a first-ever amendment to the Japanese Constitution.A robust performance could also reinforce Abe's chances of success in an LDP leadership contest in…READ FULL ARTICLE