2023-08-31 12:46:05
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, president of the Liberal Democratic Party, held talks with Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi at his official residence on the 31st. Regarding the coordination of candidates for the next House of Representatives election, they agreed in principle to revive election cooperation, which had been planned to be dissolved in Tokyo. Yamaguchi told reporters after the meeting. A formal agreement will be signed between the two parties in early September.
In preparation for the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the general election, the aim is to settle regional conflicts and strengthen cooperation between the government and the government on a nationwide basis.
At the meeting, it was confirmed that the Liberal Democratic Party will recommend the official candidates Komei has decided to back up in Tokyo’s 29 wards (Arakawa Ward, Adachi Ward West). For other single-seat constituencies in Tokyo, the two parties will coordinate with each other, and Komeito will sequentially recommend LDP candidates.
It was also confirmed that Komei will consider supporting an official candidate in one of the constituencies other than Tokyo’s 29 wards in the upcoming House of Representatives election.
Komeito leader Yamaguchi is seen at the prime minister’s office during an interview with reporters.
Yamaguchi emphasized the significance of this, saying, “We need to put in place a system that allows cooperation between the LDP and Komeito to maximize, and to maximize the number of seats in the Diet. On the other hand, he said, “We will endorse LDP candidates in Tokyo’s constituencies other than Tokyo’s 29 constituencies when the situation is right.”
Hirofumi Shimomura, former chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Policy Research Council (Tokyo’s 11th ward), expressed his hopes to reporters, saying, “We’re progressing in the direction that should be, where if we’re in the same ruling party, we’ll work together.” A member of the House of Representatives who was elected from a constituency in Tokyo also emphasized, “I wasn’t worried about (the end of cooperation). The two parties are bound by a strong relationship of trust.”
Tokyo will increase the number of single-member constituencies from 25 to 30 by increasing the number of single-seat constituencies by 10. Of these, Komei also wanted to field a candidate for the newly established Tokyo 28 wards (eastern part of Nerima Ward), but the LDP refused. In late May, Komei decided not to endorse LDP candidates in Tokyo’s single-seat constituencies for the next House of Representatives election, saying that “the relationship of trust in Tokyo has fallen to the ground” (Secretary-General Keiichi Ishii). (Masato Nakane)
◆ Komei, Tachikawa mayoral election voluntarily voted “no change”
Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi said on the 31st that the party’s response to the voluntary vote in the Tokyo Tachikawa mayoral election (voting on September 3) was “no change.” He was interviewed by reporters at his official residence. The LDP and Komeito agreed in principle to revive election cooperation in Tokyo for the next House of Representatives election, but in the final stage of the Tachikawa mayoral election, they will suspend official support for candidates recommended by the LDP.
The Tachikawa mayoral election is the first mayoral election to be held in Tokyo since Komei announced in May that it would end cooperation with the LDP in Tokyo’s lower house single-seat constituencies. In the last mayoral election, the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito recommended the incumbent and won by a narrow margin over the opposition candidate.
This time as well, there were expectations for Komei’s support within the LDP, but against the backdrop of the deterioration of relations between the LDP and Komei parties in Tokyo, Komeito announced a voluntary vote on August 24. A source close to Komei pointed out, “Although relations between the Liberal Democratic Party and Komei are on the road to recovery, I don’t know if they can fight as monolithically as they did last time.”
The Japan Restoration Party, which sometimes takes a position of cooperation with the ruling party in the Diet, decided to conduct a voluntary vote in the mayoral election. A senior Ishin official said, “There were moves to seek support from several camps, but there weren’t enough decisive factors, such as the strong influence of other parties and the stance of reform.” (Nobuko Ohno)
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