Citing the Democratic Party of Japan's "unreliable" policies, New Komeito chief Akihiro Ota says joining hands with the DPJ is unlikely even if the largest opposition force wins the Aug. 30 election.
New Komeito has been the Liberal Democratic Party's junior partner in the ruling coalition for a decade.
During a recent interview with The Japan Times, Ota slammed the DPJ's "shaky" policy on international security, citing its campaign platform announced Monday that no longer has a clause on its opposition to extending the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean.