Overview

• Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito said on a YouTube program that if no coalition agreement is reached, his party will not write Sanae Takaichi’s name in the prime minister selection at the upcoming extraordinary Diet session.
• Policy negotiations show a clear gap over stricter limits on corporate and organization donations, with Komeito urging tighter rules and the LDP cautious about losing funding.
• Reporting indicates the extraordinary Diet session to choose a successor to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba could slip to late October if a coalition deal lags, as opposition leaders press for an earlier convening.
• Takaichi described LDP executive Koichi Hagiuda as a “kizumono” during greetings to the Constitutional Democratic Party, drawing renewed scrutiny over the slush fund scandal and calls for clearer accountability.
• Labor federation Rengo re-elected Tomoko Yoshino and reiterated opposition to the Democratic Party for the People entering a coalition, as DPP’s Katsuya Shimba pressed Taro Aso to honor a prior three-party policy accord while denying any coalition talks.