Komeito is unsure about the consumption tax cut, is aware of the unified election, and is in favor of the House of Councilors.

Komeito's attitude toward Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's controversial consumption tax reduction bill remains unsettled. Although the House of Representatives plans to vote against the bill on the 6th, the response in the House of Councilors is still in flux. He has not ruled out the possibility of voting in favor of the bill in order to build a track record for the unified local elections to be held in April next year. However, if there is a difference of approval or disapproval in the House of Representatives, opposition from the Democratic Reform Party, which forms a unified faction in the House of Representatives, is inevitable. The executive branch intends to make a decision by keeping an eye on the debates in the House of Councilors until the very last minute.

Ruling party poised to pass the House of Representatives on the 6th, consumption tax cut not making progress with opposition parties

"I have expressed my concerns about the bill (during parliamentary deliberations). I would like to see how the government responds through deliberations in the House of Representatives." On the 5th, Komei Policy Research Chairman Hiromasa Nakano announced that he would oppose the government's proposal when it is voted on in the House of Representatives, and that he would closely monitor how the government emerges from the House of Councilors. He spoke to reporters inside the Diet.

Komeito has previously taken issue with the vagueness of the subsidy system that will be introduced in conjunction with tax cuts. However, he is not opposed to food tax cuts per se. Representative Mitsunari Okamoto places emphasis on social security funding, and while permanently cutting the consumption tax rate on food to zero, he has also mentioned the possibility of raising the standard tax rate to 12%.

``I don't know what they want to do with the consumption tax,'' said a party veteran. There are many voices of confusion within the party.

In April next year, when the consumption tax cut is scheduled to begin, unified local elections, which Komeito places as much importance on as national elections, will be held. Since the beginning of this year, there have been a number of cases in which not all Komeito candidates were successful in local elections. In the unified election, it is expected that he will compete with the Democratic Party of the People and political parties that are actively promoting support in various regions. ``I want to avoid being labeled as an ``opponent'' of tax cuts in the general election.``I want something to appeal to,'' a mid-ranking Komeito official said.

There is a growing sense of distrust in Komeito, who has not made up his mind about democratic reforms, with one official saying, ``In the end, he is trying to get back to the Liberal Democratic Party.'' A former member of the House of Representatives from Ritsumeikan said, ``If the House of Councilors approves the government's plan, the faction will be dissolved within the year.''

The Japanese Conservative Party has already expressed support for the bill in the House of Councilors, and if the ruling party gets two or more independent members, it may be able to pass the government's plan without relying on Komeito. A government official pointed out, ``The Takaichi administration will never rely on Komeito.As an opposition party, we should get angry.''