The Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Party remain at odds over how they might pursue campaign cooperation in the next general election of the Lower House, as speculation continues to grow that it will be held sometime this year.
While the Liberal Party is proposing that the two parties create a unified roster of proportional representation candidates -- a move that could pave way for their future integration -- the DPJ wants to limit the cooperation to adjusting candidates in single-seat constituencies, according to sources with the two opposition parties.
In the background is the deep-rooted distrust among many DPJ lawmakers toward Liberal Party leader Ichiro Ozawa -- an issue that was highlighted last year when the two parties discussed a possible merger, the sources said.