Description: The Liberal Democratic Party’s coalition partner, Komeito, has announced its plans to abandon the coalition and renounced support for the newly elected leader, Sanae Takaichi, crippling her bid to become the country’s new Prime Minister. Komeito has further stated that Japan entered a phase of a multi – party system and their decision is based on LDP’s shortcomings to address corruption scandals which increased in the past couple of years. Komeito’s exit is threatening to plunge the country into renewed political crisis after former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stepped down earlier this year. The political reshuffling arrives in a crucial period for Japan which would engage in multilateral high profile diplomatic events such as the APEC and ASEAN summits in South Korea and Malaysia, potentially hosting US President Donald Trump as well. The opposition has publicly backed Yuichiro Tamaki, the leader of the populist Democratic Party for the People to become the country’s new Prime Minister.
Impact: Japan’s political turmoil continues with the end of the 26 – year old ruling partnership between the LDP and Komeito. With LDP’s previous losses of confidence votes in the lower and upper houses of Parliament during Ishiba’s tenure, the party is set to lose the government and succumb towards oppositional pressure, unless last ditch efforts are made to secure a new coalition partner which would replace Komeito. The fluctuating political dynamics in the country are destabilizing Japan’s stagnant economy and discrediting its international influence ahead of crucial participation in summits such as the APEC and the ASEAN. The political restructuring could also transpire towards Japan’s foreign policy goals and additionally compromise the country’s standing as a pacifist force in the Pacific geopolitical theater.