Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has declared victory for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). It was a big win for Mr Kishida, who became Prime Minister only a month ago. His  party secured more than 233 Lower House seats enough to govern without its coalition partner Komeito.<br />''<br />'' The LDP has dominated Japanese politics for decades, but was criticised for its handling of the pandemic. Mr Kishida's predecessor Yoshihide Suga quit after just a year in office. The resignation came amid plummeting poll ratings for the LDP following an unpopular push to continue with the Tokyo Olympics despite public concern about surging COVID-19 rates.<br />''<br />'' Mr Kishida has long-targeted the Prime Ministerial role and previously served as the country's Foreign Minister from 2012 to 2017.<br />