Japan’s Takaichi faces uphill task in lower house election as opposition unites
Takaichi’s LDP is expected to lose millions of votes as Komeito allies with the CDP after ending its coalition with the ruling party
The new alliance between the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) and Komeito, announced on Thursday, complicates Takaichi’s bet that she will be able to significantly build on her razor-thin majority in the lower house of parliament.
On January 23, the opening day of the Diet, Takaichi is expected to announce the dissolution of the House of Representatives, with polling likely to take place on February 8 or February 15, according to media reports.
Takaichi has told the LDP of her plan to dissolve parliament for an election soon, and would reveal more details on such a move on Monday, according to Hirofumi Yoshimura, co-leader of the Japan Innovation Party, which is part of the ruling coalition.
While the prime minister is riding high in opinion polls and has largely controlled the national narrative since taking office, some analysts warn that pressing ahead without Komeito’s backing could prove costly.