The emergence of Nippon Ishin no Kai as the most likely opposition party to enter into a new ruling coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party would provide the party with almost enough votes for a Lower House majority and all but guarantee Sanae Takaichi will win the prime ministerial vote.
For the Osaka-centric Nippon Ishin, which shares the same views on the need for constitutional revision and security relations as the LDP, entering a coalition would provide it with greater power to push its pet projects, including the creation of a backup capital in case a natural disaster strikes Tokyo and a cut in the number of parliamentary members.
The latter issue emerged suddenly as a key demand for Nippon Ishin in coalition negotiations. It’s a contentious issue for the LDP, however, and as of Friday, the two sides were still negotiating.
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