The Seven Damning Sins of Soka Gakkai-Komeito

To Gain The Deciding Vote They Play Both Sides Of The Fence

First, they had learned a lesson from their support of Azuma.  By supporting the Azuma faction, many of them were prosecuted for violations of the Election Law, and Komeito whose theme is: "the purification of the political world", was forced to plead many lame excuses.  Since this Azuma faction had produced some vicious offenders of the Election Law in 1959, Komeito's excuses would not stand up.  It would be indeed strange if they criticized the man they had supported and if they did not criticize him, it would be asked:
"Is Komeito forbidden to criticize?"  At any rate, Komeito had a difficult time in the Metropolitan Assembly.
Second, in the membership of Soka Gakkai, there were both conservatives and progressives, and the support of Azuma had displeased the progressives.  The staff attempted to soothe their feelings by saying, "even if we support him, we will take a free and unbiased policy," but at any rate if Komeito supported either side there were definite signs of causing dissatisfaction among the membership.
Third, the activities of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Socialist Party, which we will relate.
The Liberal Democratic Party was convinced that Komeito did not want to form a united front with the Socialist Party.
In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly they are enemies of long standing., especially on the issue of increasing the water rates. Chairman Yoshikatsu Takeiri who was then assemblyman received a hard blow from one of the members of the Socialist Party during a scuffle which took place .  The Liberal Democratic Party knew well these antagonisms.
Well why was it that the Liberal Democratic Party decided to work with Komeito? Of course, if they could get Komeito's cooperation, they would be pleased, but if it was impossible, the Liberal  Democratic Party preferred  that Komeito put up one of their members as a candidate rather than taking a middle position.  Kaoru Ota was a powerful rival and the Liberal Democratic Party hoped to force him to withdraw. Ota was stupid enough to say: "If I cannot get Komeito's support...."  He is a foolishly candid man. By seizing his statement, the Liberal Democratic Party induced Komeito to put forward their own candidate 'and worked for the withdrawal of Ota and it can be said that all of this was constructed according to the Liberal Democratic Party's plan.
The year before Takeiri became  the  Chairman  (in 1966), at the beginning of February, he met with Okinori Kaya, who was head of the rightists in the Liberal Democratic Party. We do not know for certain what they discussed, but it seems that the Liberal Democratic Party made some approach toward Komeito through Kaya's faction, since Komeito might be said to have the predisposition to lean toward the right. Takeiri is very fond of the Liberal Democratic Party.
The  Socialist Party  itself was  expecting  Komeito's cooperation, and the Secretary~General Narita (the present President) said: "if you cannot give us your cooperation, put up a candidate of your own." Since, if they teamed up with the Liberal Democrats they would be defeated without even a
fight, they had to take such an approach. All parties had their eye on Komeito-Soka Gakkai and it seemed that Komeito was not very proficient in such political maneuvering and was given severe training and upset.
Departing from the subject of the Election for a moment, judging from their past actions, after being tossed around, they have in most cases, compromised with the Liberal Democratic Party.  In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, only by frequent compromises between the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito has it been possible to pass ne'v bills.  The Socialist Party which has dropped to third place in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, has been jostled by Komeito, and their authority as the party in power has fallen, while Komeito, not throwing away their opportunity, intends to continue to hold the casting vote for a long time to come.
Though they put forward their own candidate in the elect- ion for the Tokyo Governor in 1967, in all other cases, they have aided the powerful conservative autocracy,  they have splintered the power of the opposition parties and they have been weakening the power of the three progressive parties, who bicker with each other.  Even though they insist that they are an opposition party, their attitude is indistinct.
Even though Komeito finds meaning in showing their originality as a third political party, we should not make light of the problem of this tendency itself.