INTERVIEW: Koizumi Calls Bigger Ruling Bloc “Best Option”

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi, a candidate in the Liberal Democratic Party’s upcoming leadership election, has said that expanding the ruling coalition, currently made up of the LDP and Komeito, is the “best option.” Koizumi and four other LDP lawmakers are vying in Saturday’s election to become the new party president to succeed Shigeru Ishiba, also the outgoing prime minister. In an interview with media outlets including Jiji Press on Tuesday, Koizumi was asked how he plans to address the current situation in which the LDP-Komeito pair lacks a majority in both chambers of parliament if he becomes LDP chief and prime minister of Japan. “I think (expanding) the coalition is the best option,” he said. Still, Koizumi said, “I’m not limiting” the scope of parties that would join the ruling bloc. “We need to hold broad discussions,” he added, indicating that he wants to advance policy talks with opposition parties such as the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) and the Democratic Party for the People. Noting that he has personal ties with members of the CDP, Nippon Ishin and the DPFP, Koizumi said that the focal point in possible discussions on expanding the coalition will be “how we can talk about concrete cooperation from the perspective of achieving what the people want.” On the proposed establishment of a secondary capital of Japan, which is among the conditions set by Nippon Ishin for joining the ruling camp, Koizumi said, “I do share the feeling that we need to create a decentralized governing system.” Asked how he would reform the LDP, he stressed the importance of showing quick results. “This will lead to regaining the people’s trust and expanding the party’s strength.” Discussing how to bring down surging prices, he underscored the importance of the government and the Bank of Japan sharing a broad goal, saying “the BOJ has discretion over monetary policy” and that the government’s basic economic policies and BOJ policy are “working together to create a virtuous circle in the economy.” As concrete measures to achieve a 1-million-yen hike in the average salary in the country by fiscal 2030, Koizumi proposed to boost work efficiency at small and midsize companies and to introduce a tax system that promotes wage hikes. He also offered the ideas of raising local governments’ unit order prices to boost wages of workers at subcontractors and improving work conditions for medical workers by capitalizing on tax income growth and fully implementing government spending reform. On personnel management within the LDP, Koizumi said it is important to focus on individual lawmakers’ proficiencies as well as abilities to “cooperate in pushing the party forward.” He showed an unchanged supportive stance for maintaining the rule of limiting succession to male members in the paternal line of the Imperial Family. “The history of the Imperial Family and the link of the paternal line is crucial,” he said. Koizumi also expressed willingness to lead suprapartisan efforts to achieve a constitutional referendum as soon as possible. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]