Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Sanae Takaichi has successfully wooed the opposition Japan Restoration Party (JRP). The two parties plan to sign a coalition agreement on Monday (October 20th) and jointly support Takaichi as Japan's first female prime minister in Tuesday's election.
After about two weeks of political turmoil in Japanese politics, a major turning point occurred after the LDP and JRP quickly rallied on the 15th. The LDP holds 196 seats in the House of Representatives, plus the JRP's 36, for a total of 231 seats, just two seats short of a majority. Reports indicate that the LDP has also secured support from some independent lawmakers, suggesting Takaichi could win the first vote in Tuesday's Diet election, fulfilling her dream of becoming a female prime minister.
The JRP presented 12 issues to the LDP, including political reforms such as reducing the number of Diet members by 10%, banning corporate and group donations, and the "Deputy Capital Concept" to transfer some capital functions to regional governments. The two parties discussed the feasibility of these issues and prepared to sign a coalition agreement on the eve of the prime ministerial election.
According to the Asahi Shimbun, during the negotiations, a fierce conflict raged between the LDP and the Restoration Party, which advocated for "complete abolition," over the issue of "corporate and group donations." The Restoration Party later proposed a "10% reduction in the number of Diet members" as an "absolute condition" for reaching an agreement. A senior LDP official told the media that this proposal was accepted by the LDP in the final stages of the negotiations.
The Restoration Party, like its fellow opposition parties, the Constitutional Democratic Party and the Democratic Party for the People, had previously used the "black money issue" to attack the LDP. Now, the Restoration Party has suddenly made "reducing seats" its decisive proposal in the negotiations, prompting criticism from opposition figures as an attempt to deflect attention from the LDP's inability to compromise on the issue of "politics and money."
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After reaching an agreement with the Restoration Party, the Liberal Democratic Party planned to submit a "seat reduction bill" in the extraordinary Diet, but this was opposed by most opposition parties.
The Restoration Party will not join the cabinet for the time being
Sources indicate that even if the Restoration Party and the Liberal Democratic Party reach a coalition agreement, the Restoration Party has decided to enter the ruling coalition through an "outside-cabinet" approach due to voices within the party calling for a delay in forming a coalition government.
On a television program on the 18th, when asked whether Takaichi would offer the Restoration Party a cabinet position, Yoshimura replied, "We are not seeking a position."
The LDP and its previous partner, the Komeito Party, have engaged in "inside-cabinet" cooperation, meaning Komeito also appoints cabinet ministers. This type of cooperation is closer than outside-cabinet cooperation.
Some reports suggest this is due to distrust within the Restoration Party. An anonymous senior Restoration Party official stated, "We must first see if the LDP is seriously implementing the Restoration Party's policies."
The Restoration Party will not send anyone to the cabinet, but to facilitate communication, the party's Diet Affairs Committee Chairman, Takashi Endō, will work in the Prime Minister's Office as an "Assistant to the Prime Minister." The LDP and the Restoration Party will also establish a consultative body to implement policies. As part of the ruling coalition, the Restoration Party will also participate in the pre-examination of bills submitted by the government.
