Sanae Takaichi is on track to become Japan's first female prime minister, after the right-wing Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin, said it was ready to back her premiership.
The cooperation agreement would deliver a combined 231 seats in parliament’s dominant lower house. It would fall two short of a majority, but ensure Takaichi likely wins a vote in parliament on Tuesday to pick Japan’s next prime minister. She will only need a majority of ballots cast rather than of all members in any runoff vote.
To govern, however, she will still need to court the support of other opposition groups, including for an upcoming supplementary budget.
The expected deal with Ishin follows the collapse of the Liberal Democratic Party’s 26-year coalition with Komeito, which ended its alliance after the ruling party picked Takaichi as its new leader, Reuters said.
