As speculation grows over the chance of a sudden election, rising tensions within the ruling coalition over selecting candidates for a Lower House race threatens to impede the long-standing cooperation they rely on elsewhere.
In an attempt to iron out their differences, LDP secretary general Toshimitsu Motegi met his Komeito counterpart Keiichi Ishii Thursday, but without result.
In unusually harsh words, Ishii told Motegi that Komeito would not endorse an LDP candidate in the Tokyo 28th district race, where both parties wanted to enter, and would not seek LDP endorsement for Komeito's candidate in the Tokyo 29th district.