Japan opposition alliance on brink of collapse after merger talks stall
The Centrist Reform Alliance was formed in January to counter the ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi
The leaders of the three opposition parties are scheduled to meet later in the day to make a formal decision regarding the merger plan.
Komeito and CDPJ lawmakers continue to sit separately in the House of Councillors, in which the ruling coalition does not hold a majority.
The focus will now shift to the opposition parties’ future cooperation ahead of unified local elections next year, with political analysts saying the fragmentation of the opposition camp will benefit the ruling parties.
After months of talks, CDPJ leader Shunichi Mizuoka said in a meeting with his counterparts from the CRA and Komeito on Friday that his party would not join the alliance.
His call for exploring new forms of cooperation, such as forming a joint caucus in the upper house, was rejected by a senior Komeito executive.