LDP's Kishida, Komeito's Yamaguchi Confirm Talks To Renew Election Cooperation In Tokyo

Kyodo News and Jiji report that Japan's Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party leader Fumio Kishida met with junior coalition party Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi today and the two leaders agreed to work towards the revival of their parties' election cooperation in Tokyo in the next House of Representatives election.

• Komeito in May announced its decision to suspend cooperation with the LDP in Tokyo in the next lower house election and refrain from endorsing LDP candidates contesting single-seat districts in the capital. Local media suggested that the split came on the back of the LDP's refusal to allow Komeito to field a joint candidate in the Tokyo 28 district.
• The junior coalition party had been looking to contest the No. 28 seat in the capital, which will be created in a reapportionment move, as part of its strategy to contain the fallout from its declining popular support. Komeito reportedly wanted to compensate for losses in the proportional representation constituency by focusing its effort on winning more single-seat districts.
• Hiroshi Moriyama, head of the LDP's Election Strategy Committee, today said that any deal will depend on future talks, but also expressed his hope that an agreement with Komeito could be reached soon. As a result of negotiations, the two parties managed to restore election cooperation everywhere except Tokyo. A revised agreement would be a key element of the preparations for a potential snap election.