What’s next for Komeito?

The failure of centrist opposition parties to merge on Monday has put the spotlight on what Komeito will do next, and whether lawmakers aligned to it will remain part of the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) or leave, remaining in opposition but perhaps quietly working more with its old allies in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

The CRA was created in January in a hasty agreement between Lower House lawmakers of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) and Komeito just before the February general election. The CDP and Komeito tentatively decided to keep their parties separate in the Upper House.

There are 21 Upper House Komeito members, and the CDP has 40.