LDP & Komeito Reach Agreement On Election Cooperation Amid Rising Threat From Ishin No Kai

Japanese media outlets report that over the weekend Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner Komeito agreed on a draft deal on their election cooperation in 46 prefectures, excluding Tokyo, in the next House of Representatives election.

• The two parties locked horns over Komeito's decision to pull out of election cooperation in the capital, with the party announcing last month that it would break election cooperation with the LDP in all 30 Tokyo districts.
• Negotiations ensued, with the LDP extending an olive branch and vowing to support Komeito candidates in Saitama's 14th district and Aichi's 16th district. The two parties subsequently confirmed that they indent to keep their coalition intact.
• Jiji reported that the aim of the deal is to prevent the collapse of cooperation in Tokyo from spreading across the country. The LDP reportedly want to continue talks with Komeito to re-establish cooperation in the capital.
• According to Yomiuri, there is a "growing sense of crisis" within the ruling coalition, due to the Cabinet's weakening approval ratings and the increasing lack of trust between coalition partners.
• Another source of concern for the governing coalition is the rapid rise of Nippon Ishin no Kai party, which is looking to challenge Komeito incumbents in Osaka and Hyogo, abandoning an unwritten non-aggression pact in six constituencies.
• As a reminder, following weeks of speculation that Prime Minister Kishida could call a snap election this month, he eventually refrained from doing so. This does not mean that the idea has been ditched entirely, as Kishida could return to it in autumn.