Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's quest to secure needed opposition party votes for passing the 2025 budget ended Tuesday when the minority government made a deal with Nippon Ishin no Kai. But it also highlighted fundamental policy disagreements between the two long-term coalition partners.
Concerns about the Liberal Democratic Party’s slush fund scandal, political reform and differences over observer status at a convention to ban nuclear weapons are issues leading Komeito to try and put some space between itself and the LDP.
Komeito chief Tetsuo Saito, whom the party elected as its new leader following last year’s Lower House election defeat, has declared the party is going to go back to the basic ideals of Soka Gakkai, the Buddhist lay group that is Komeito’s main supporter.
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