(MENAFN) Leaders of three major Japanese opposition parties convened Wednesday to discuss potential collaboration for the pivotal Oct. 21 vote to select Japan’s next prime minister, media reported.

Yoshihiko Noda, head of the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ); Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People (DPP); and Fumitake Fujita, co-leader of the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), engaged in talks about possibly uniting behind a single candidate.

The discussion, according to the report, focused on key national issues such as security, Japan’s pacifist constitution, and nuclear energy policy, with a decision on joint strategy expected soon.

Tamaki and Fujita have pressed Noda to back constitutional reforms, abandon the CDPJ’s “zero nuclear plant” stance, and reconsider its opposition to exercising the right to collective self-defense.

This meeting comes after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected Sanae Takaichi as its new president, following the resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

In a significant development, the LDP’s long-standing coalition partner, Komeito, announced its exit from the alliance shortly after Takaichi’s election, leaving the ruling party without a parliamentary majority.

To secure the premiership, a candidate needs at least 233 votes in the parliament. While the LDP currently controls 196 seats, a united opposition bloc could potentially command over 213 votes.

In a separate move, Takaichi invited JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura on Wednesday to consider forming a coalition with the LDP. With 35 lower-house seats, the JIP holds a potentially decisive role in shaping Japan’s next government.

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