Less than a month after the Liberal Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Party for the People (DPP) forged an agreement to cooperate, signs of friction are already growing between them as rumors float that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi might call a snap election next month.

Although Takaichi has yet to confirm an election will take place, DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki has gone on the offensive against the prime minister.

It marks a dramatic change by the DPP after weeks of speculation about whether warming relations with the ruling LDP would result in it formally joining the ruling coalition.

The news over the weekend that Takaichi may dissolve parliament and hold a general election on Feb. 8 or Feb. 15 caught the political world, including Tamaki, by surprise.

He reiterated Tuesday that having an election next month would damage trust between the two parties.

¡°If a dissolution of parliament occurs at this time (when the next session begins on Jan. 23), as is being suggested, passing the budget bill or budget-related bills will become practically impossible,¡± Tamaki told a news conference.

¡°Implementation of the agreement between the two parties would become difficult. This could result in breaking the agreement,¡± he added.

Last month, Tamaki signed an agreement with Takaichi to cooperate on passing the fiscal 2026 budget bill within the current fiscal year that ends in March.

In exchange, the prime minister promised to raise the income tax-free threshold from ?1.03 million ($6,490) annually to ?1.78 million ¡ª a key policy agenda that the DPP has promised its supporters.

While the LDP along with its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin no Kai), controls the lower chamber of parliament, they will need the DPP¡¯s support in the upper chamber for a majority.

Tamaki says that having an election in February would leave much less time for parliamentary debate of the fiscal 2026 budget bill, thus making it difficult to be enacted by the end of March.

His position is that the budget bill and other bills related to tax reforms are critical to implementing measures to support those struggling with high inflation, and that they need to clear parliament as soon as possible.

A snap election also leaves the DPP with little time to prepare its own candidates. The party currently has 27 Lower House seats but is aiming to increase that total to 51 in the next general election.

¡°We¡¯ll field at least one officially endorsed candidate in every single prefecture,¡± Tamaki said Sunday.

¡°There¡¯s no time to waste on district adjustments (with other parties) or anything like that. We just have to field candidates wherever we can.¡±