Japan’s Liberal Democratic party has agreed to form a coalition with the reformist Japan Innovation party in a deal that paves the way for Sanae Takaichi to become the country’s first female prime minister.
Hirofumi Yoshimura, governor of Osaka and JIP’s leader, told Japanese media on Monday that an announcement to formalise the deal would be made later. People familiar with the LDP-JIP negotiations said the coalition deal was agreed in principle at meetings on Sunday.
Shares in Tokyo surged on news of the provisional agreement that brings to an end a period of uncertainty following the collapse of the ruling party’s 26-year coalition with Komeito.