Tokyo, Oct 10 (NationPress) In a significant political shift, Japan's Komeito announced on Friday its intention to dissolve its coalition with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The party will also abstain from voting for the newly appointed LDP leader Sanae Takaichi as Prime Minister, citing unresolved issues regarding political funding practices, according to local media reports.

Komeito's leader Tetsuo Saito informed Takaichi during their meeting on Friday afternoon that they would exit the coalition, which has endured for over 25 years, as reported by the public broadcaster NHK.

The discussions between Saito and Takaichi revolved around three contentious topics: historical perspectives, including visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, Komeito's apprehensions regarding potentially discriminatory policies against foreigners, and the need for political funding reforms, as reported by Kyodo News.

Unfortunately, the leaders couldn't reach a consensus on the latter issue, with Komeito pressing for comprehensive investigations into the funding scandal and stricter regulations on corporate donations, as per information from Xinhua.

During a news conference, Saito emphasized that addressing the intersection of politics and money is a primary focus for Komeito and criticized the LDP for not providing adequate responses regarding funding matters.

Komeito has been advocating for the LDP to endorse its proposal for stricter limits on corporate political contributions, which would restrict donations to a single party to 20 million yen (approximately $130,862) annually, thereby reducing their influence on policy decisions, although no such cap currently exists in law.

The LDP, which predominantly benefits from corporate donations, is resistant to implementing restrictions on individual lawmakers' donations.

"We cannot endorse Sanae Takaichi in the vote for the new prime minister," Saito stated, confirming Komeito's decision to abstain from supporting her in the upcoming parliamentary session that will determine Japan's next leader.

For Takaichi to become Japan's first female prime minister, she must be elected by the Diet, Japan's parliament. Komeito's withdrawal from the coalition implies that the LDP will need to seek support from opposition parties to secure Takaichi's position as Japan's next prime minister.

Komeito initially partnered with the LDP from 1999 to 2009, and they regained power together in 2012, maintaining their coalition since then.