All papers reported that the new regional party headed by Tokyo Governor Koike, “Citizens-First Assembly,” announced yesterday that it has forged an accord with the Tokyo chapter of the Komeito party on cooperation in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election in July. The papers explained that since Komeito has chosen to distance itself from the LDP in Tokyo, ruling party officials are afraid that the popular governor may try to field candidates of her own to challenge the LDP in the next general election depending on the outcome of the upcoming Tokyo race. The largest opposition Democratic Party will also be put in a difficult position, since some of its metropolitan assembly members have announced plans to leave the party to join Koike’s group out of frustration with the DP’s dwindling popularity among voters.