Amid rumors of a potential Lower House snap vote, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday offered an olive branch to its junior coalition partner, declaring that it will refrain from submitting its own candidates in two constituencies should a general election take place.

While still at loggerheads over the candidate for Tokyo’s 28th district, the LDP and Komeito have reiterated their commitment to further discussion on nationwide electoral cooperation, with the former no longer intending to field contenders in Saitama’s 14th district and Aichi’s 16th.

“(LDP) Secretary-General (Toshimitsu) Motegi has told me he would like to carry on negotiations on an electoral alliance in the Lower House ... and I appreciate that,” Komeito’s Secretary-General Keiichi Ishii told reporters after a meeting with Motegi on Tuesday.

Negotiations had reached a stalemate last Thursday when, following consultations with Motegi, Ishii announced that Komeito would not endorse the LDP candidate in Tokyo’s 28th district and would break off electoral cooperation in all 30 of the capital's districts. He added that Komeito would not request the LDP’s support in Tokyo’s 29th district.

Tuesday's move marks the latest development in weekslong discussions on how the coalition should work together in the potentially upcoming Lower House vote. Amid increasing speculation that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will call a snap election before the end of the ongoing session of parliament, parties have been scrambling to make final arrangements for electoral constituencies.

Komeito’s leader Natsuo Yamaguchi met with Kishida, who is also the LDP’s president, at the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday morning. During their discussions, which they hold on a regular basis, the two leaders confirmed their joint commitment to the coalition.

“I want to reiterate how important it is for the LDP and Komeito to work together to maintain the stability of the government, and to overcome and solve step-by-step the challenges that citizens face,” Yamaguchi told reporters after the meeting.

Intracoalition frictions were initially caused by the LDP’s refusal to adhere to an electoral pact for April’s by-elections, in which Komeito agreed to endorse the LDP's candidate for Chiba’s 5th constituency — Arfiya Eri — in exchange for the LDP’s future support in Tokyo’s 28th district, Ishii told fellow Komeito lawmakers during a party meeting last week. While the LDP had originally hinted that it would accept Komeito's request, it eventually reneged on the agreement and decided to field its own candidate in the constituency, Komeito's election strategy committee Chairman Makoto Nishida added.

Asked about the topic, the LDP election strategy department declined to comment, saying only that the two sides had reached only a verbal agreement, without signing a written pledge.

While both parties have confirmed their commitment to electoral cooperation outside the capital on several occasions, the clash — and the unusually strong tone used by Komeito — have laid bare the tensions on both sides over the present and future of the coalition.

While the LDP gained four out of five constituencies in April’s by-elections, an unexpectedly small margin in Yamaguchi’s 2nd district —— traditionally a conservative stronghold — and a tight race in Chiba’s 5th cast a shadow over the result.

Meanwhile, Komeito registered its worst performance in a regional ballot since 1998.

On top of that, after years of electoral cooperation, Komeito's relations with Nippon Ishin no Kai in the Kansai region have become tense, and, with Nippon Ishin looking to expand its influence across the country, flare-ups might occur in the future.

Since the establishment of the LDP-Komeito alliance in 1999, the former has heavily relied on the latter’s entrenched local networks during elections to garner support in areas where it lacks a support base. On the other hand, Komeito has benefited from its ties with the LDP, gaining concrete leverage over some areas of policymaking — on welfare spending, for example.

But with Nippon Ishin — which is closer to the LDP ideologically than Komeito — making significant gains nationwide, the ruling coalition will likely face further tests.