The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, will revive their cooperation in Tokyo elections, which Komeito unilaterally dissolved earlier this year.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is also the president of the LDP, and Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi reached a broad agreement to resume the cooperation during their meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday.
The move came after the Komeito side softened its stance toward the LDP.
The ruling parties will aim to adopt a document on the agreement by their leaders as soon as possible after their secretaries-general work out the details.
“We hope to finalize (the agreement) after I return from a visit to China (starting Monday),” Komeito’s Yamaguchi told reporters after the meeting with Kishida.
In May, Komeito notified the LDP of the end of their electoral cooperation in Tokyo, after their talks to coordinate candidates in some House of Representatives constituencies in the capital fell apart.
After Nippon Ishin no Kai withdrew from its constituency deal with Komeito in the Kansai region, however, Komeito supporters increasingly accepted the idea that full electoral cooperation between the LDP and Komeito is crucial.
Within the LDP, meanwhile, mistrust in Komeito has spread, and as a result it’s still uncertain whether the two parties can promote effective electoral cooperation going forward.