As the clock ticks down to the likely start of parliament next week, Japan’s political situation has never been more chaotic.
With Komeito’s exit from the ruling coalition Friday, there is now no guarantee that Liberal Democratic Party president Sanae Takaichi will be voted prime minister when parliament convenes, possibly as early as Monday. Even if she is voted in, she faces the task of healing sharp divisions within an LDP that would govern as a minority and require opposition party cooperation in order to pass legislation.
But there is also no guarantee that the main opposition parties, which are attempting to forge an alliance, can set aside their differences in the coming days to quickly rally around a candidate who could get the needed votes to defeat Takaichi and take control of the government.
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