Overview

• Komeito ended its 26-year partnership with the LDP over the ruling party’s handling of political funding scandals and signaled it will not back Sanae Takaichi in the prime ministerial vote.
• The LDP holds 196 Lower House seats, short of the 233 needed, and has proposed convening an extraordinary Diet session around Oct. 20 to elect a new prime minister.
• Opposition leaders are working to unite behind one nominee, with DPP chief Yuichiro Tamaki floated by the CDP and expressing readiness to stand, as JIP and other parties weigh support.
• In a new interview, Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito said the party may support candidates based on local merits in future elections and would likely abstain or write in his name in any prime ministerial runoff rather than back an opposition pick.
• Komeito plans to submit a bill to tighten corporate and group donation rules, markets partially unwound the recent “Takaichi trade” with the yen firming, and a packed summit calendar heightens pressure for a quick resolution.