The head of Japan’s Komeito party says it is leaving the ruling coalition headed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) due to concerns over corruption, in a major setback for Sanae Takaichi, who hopes to become the country’s next prime minister.
The decision announced yesterday by Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito deals a serious blow to the LDP, who last weekend chose Takaichi, an ultra-conservative lawmaker, as its leader.
Takaichi could still become Japan’s first female prime minister, but the departure of the Buddhist-backed Komeito would compel the Liberal Democrats to find at least one other coalition partner in order to stay in power.
Photo: AP
Speaking to reporters, she said Saito had “one-sidedly announced the decision to leave the coalition” even though she and her deputy, LDP Secretary General Shunichi Suzuki, had said the Liberal Democrats would discuss the issues he raised and respond promptly.
“We’ve been together for 26 years and it was extremely disappointing, but this is how we ended up,” Takaichi said.
The ruling coalition had already lost its majorities in both houses of parliament. The lower house is due to vote on a new prime minister later this month.
Saito said his party had raised several concerns in a meeting with its leaders.
They include objections to Takaichi’s stance about Japan’s wartime history and her visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, seen as a symbol of its past militarism. Another was Takaichi’s hardline position toward foreigners, part of a backlash against growing numbers of foreign workers and tourists.
However, the deciding factor was the Liberal Democrats’ response to scandals over the use of political slush funds, he said.
Saito said he found Takaichi’s response to his concerns over history, the Yasukuni visits and foreigners to be acceptable, but he said she showed a lack of “sincerity” about doing more to clean up corruption.
“The LDP’s response was that it will think about it, which was highly insufficient and extremely disappointing,” Saito said.
Komeito was founded in 1964 by the leader of the Buddhist sect Soka Gakkai, Daisaku Ikeda, to represent diverse public interests and fight corruption, as an alternative to political parties backed by labor unions and big corporations.
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