New Komeito, the junior member of the ruling coalition, will pledge to protect the pacifist Constitution for the Upper House election, opening a rift with nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party, a policy draft showed Sunday.
The draft, obtained by Kyodo News, also said New Komeito will try to re-establish regular meetings between Japanese and Chinese leaders to mend diplomatic relations frayed by Japan's nationalization of a tiny set of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea last September and by historical disputes.
Despite its more than decade-long alliance with Abe's conservative LDP, New Komeito is clearly seeking to distance itself from the revisionist leader's party before the House of Councilors election slated for July.