ISTANBUL

Japan’s opposition parties agreed Thursday to form a new political party ahead of an expected snap election, according to party leaders and local media reports.

The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) and smaller Komeito, which ended its more than 25-year coalition with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) last year, agreed to unite centrist forces under a new entity called the Centrist Reform Party, Kyodo News reported.

Both parties will continue to exist alongside the new grouping, Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito said.

Saito and CDPJ leader Yoshihiko Noda will jointly lead the new party.

Initially, only lower house lawmakers from both parties are expected to join the new organization, while members of the House of Councillors and local government representatives will remain in their original parties, Kyodo reported, citing sources.

Saito said Komeito will not field candidates in lower house constituencies.

The smaller opposition party, Komeito, is backed by Japan’s largest lay Buddhist organization, Soka Gakkai, which has long provided key campaign support to the LDP.

The CDPJ currently holds 148 seats in the lower house, while Komeito has 24, giving the two parties a combined total of 172 seats.

The LDP and its junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), hold 233 seats in the 465-member lower house.

Separately, Hirofumi Yoshimura, leader of the JIP, said Wednesday that Japan’s first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to announce snap elections on Monday.

A party or coalition needs at least 233 seats in the 465-member lower house of Japan’s bicameral parliament to elect a prime minister.