Japan's largest opposition party in lower house faces possible split

Japan's largest opposition party in the lower house of parliament, the Centrist Reform Alliance, faces the possibility of splitting apart following failed merger talks with the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. The talks broke down on Friday, less than a year after the alliance was formed. The opposition party was established in January by lawmakers from the CDPJ and Komeito, Komeito's former coalition partner with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

The potential split could weaken the opposition party, which was created to counterbalance Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's conservative government. The LDP secured a substantial victory in the February general elections. On Friday, the CDPJ, now only holding members in the upper house, decided against merging with Komeito into the CRA.

This led to calls from former Komeito lawmakers to leave the opposition party. Despite the prospect of a split, the parties could still cooperate through a joint caucus or election coordination. The CRA has 49 elected lawmakers, comprising 28 from Komeito and 21 from the CDPJ. After Friday's three-way talks, CDPJ leader Shunichi Mizuoka expressed interest in exploring new cooperative forms, such as forming a joint caucus in the upper house.

However, Komeito Secretary General Makoto Nishida rejected the proposal, citing policy differences, particularly on security, and emphasized that strengthening Komeito would be a driving force behind centrist politics. A further meeting among the three party leaders is scheduled for Monday.