LDP, New Komeito to cooperate in more than half of constituencies+

TOKYO, June 28 Kyodo -
The main opposition Liberal Democratic Party and its former ruling coalition
partner, the New Komeito party, are expected to cooperate in more than half of
Japan's 47 constituencies in the July 11 upper house election, despite the
parties' lack of an alliance at the national level, Kyodo News found Monday.
The cooperation between the parties is likely to affect the results of the
House of Councillors election in closely contested single-seat constituencies,
as New Komeito is offering its support base to LDP candidates including those
involved in tight races with rivals from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan.
In return, New Komeito, which is backed by Soka Gakkai, an influential lay
Buddhist organization, will gain the LDP's support in the proportional
representation section.
In the triennial contest in which half of the upper chamber's 242 seats are up
for grabs, candidates are vying for 73 seats in the 47 prefecture-based
constituencies, including one each in 29 districts, and for 48 seats in the
proportional representation section under a nationwide party-list system.
The two parties, which formed a coalition government until the DPJ came to
power in the House of Representatives election last August, have formally
agreed on electoral cooperation at a local level or among candidates in 11
constituencies.
In 15 other districts where no such agreements have been concluded, cooperation
at the level of local assembly members' support groups or in restricted areas
has been decided or is being considered, according to Kyodo's research in the
constituencies.
==Kyodo
2010-06-28 23:01:34


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