Overview
- Ishin decided to back a four‑special‑ward map after internal surveys and lawmaker questionnaires, a choice finalized at a party meeting on Aug. 6.
- The four‑ward plan was presented to the府市の法定協議会 on Aug. 7 and was formally adopted there because Ishin is the only party participating in the talks.
- The proposal keeps the same ward count used in the narrow 2020 referendum but changes boundaries to reflect local ties and balance populations estimated at about 530,000 to 880,000 per ward.
- Each proposed ward would center on a major transport and commercial hub—Shin‑Osaka, Umeda, Namba and Tennoji—as Ishin says this spreads fiscal strength and services across the city.
- Ishin is aiming to hold the referendum with next spring's governor election and to finalize the協定書 (legal agreement) by the end of the year, a move that limits cross‑party negotiation because key opposition parties did not join the法定協.