Leaders of the two main opposition parties agreed Wednesday to cooperate in some constituencies in next summer's House of Councilors election to try to prevent the ruling triumvirate from securing a majority.
The cooperation is likely to take the form of one party's candidate standing down in order to improve the chances of the other party's candidate.
Yukio Hatoyama, leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, met with Liberal Party President Ichiro Ozawa and agreed to make adjustments in constituencies where only one candidate will be elected. Hatoyama intends to make a similar request soon to Social Democratic Party head Takako Doi.
"The public does not want the three ruling parties to continue to govern the nation," Hatoyama told reporters. "It is our top priority to overthrow the (current) administration and take the helm of the country as soon as possible."
Political sources have hinted that the opposition parties may step up their cooperation in the proportional representation arena and form a new political organization to put forward opposition candidates on the same roster.
Hatoyama said it would be difficult for the four parties to form a new organization to promote opposition candidates on the same roster.