Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a former official of the Liberal Democratic Party Shigeru Ishiba are expected to raise territorial issues in their campaigns for party leadership later this month.

According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, Abe and Ishiba, former chairman of the LDP’s Policy Affairs Research Council, have agreed to open a joint territorial research committee comprised of their followers on September sixth.

The two have decided to run for the LDP’s presidency on October 26th, and Abe was reported to have 60 lawmakers in his support, while Ishiba has 20.

The two are seen to be forming a coalition within the party, using territorial disputes including Dokdo, Senkaku and the Kuril Islands.

Abe has been reported to be demanding Japan acquire collective self-defense rights by changing Article 9 of the Constitution, which renounces war as a sovereign right and bans settlement of international disputes through the use of force.

He has raised controversy before by demanding the amendment of statements made by Yohei Kono and Tomiichi Murayama, both LDP members who apologized for the forced sexual slavery of South Korean women.

Ishiba is also a right-wing politician advocating similar demands.