Overview
- Secretary-generals from the CDP, Ishin, and Kokumin met on Oct. 14 to coordinate a unified nominee for the Diet’s prime minister designation vote, with reporting indicating the CDP may coalesce around Kokumin leader Yuichiro Tamaki.
- The LDP informed the opposition that the government plans to convene an extraordinary Diet session on Oct. 21 and aims to hold the designation vote that day, though opposition leaders say the schedule is not yet agreed.
- Tamaki said any cooperation requires basic policy alignment on national security and energy, urging the CDP to shift to more “realistic” security positions before moving to leader-level talks.
- LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki pledged to work to secure Sanae Takaichi’s nomination and met Kokumin Secretary-General Katsuya Haiba to discuss cooperation based on shared stances on energy, security, and the constitution.
- Analyses note that if the CDP, Ishin, and Kokumin unify, their combined strength could surpass the LDP’s 196 seats, making the outcome dependent on policy deals and vote counting ahead of the planned session.