Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, leader of Kibo no To (Party of Hope), has denied that her party will join a ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party after the Oct. 22 general election.
Koike had left open the possibility of such a coalition, but apparently shifted her ambiguous stance in the face of recent media polls suggesting her party is unlikely to win as much support from voters as earlier expected.
Asked about the possibility of her party launching a coalition government with the LDP, the popular governor told reporters Friday that there was “none at all.”
Nevertheless, Koike did suggest that her party could still link up with the LDP on specific issues, including revising the pacifist Constitution and national security.
“Kibo no To will examine the pros and cons of cooperation on each issue so that it can realize its policy pledges,” she said.
The ruling party’s reported lead in the Lower House race is “primarily because opposition parties are divided,” Koike said.
“Anyways, the campaign has only just begun, and we will promote our policies robustly,” she added.
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