Japan Election Turmoil Sets Up Two-Horse Race: Abe Versus Koike
- Main opposition Democratic Party will effectively disband
- Koike launched Party of Hope ahead of Oct. 22 election
Abe Seeks Election Date Approval
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Japan’s main opposition party agreed to merge with a new group created by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, setting her up as the main challenger to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as he dissolved parliament ahead of an Oct. 22 election.
The Democratic Party, one of Japan’s top political forces for the past two decades, decided on Thursday to run its candidates under Koike’s Party of Hope, which was unveiled on Monday.