Opposition Leaders Agree to Continue Talks on PM Election

Tokyo, Oct. 15 (Jiji Press)–The leaders of three major Japanese opposition parties met on Wednesday and agreed to continue talks between their secretaries-general regarding possible cooperation in the upcoming parliamentary vote to elect the country’s new prime minister. At the meeting, Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan head Yoshihiko Noda called on Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) co-leader Fumitake Fujita and Democratic Party for the People chief Yuichiro Tamaki to accept his party’s proposal to unite behind a single candidate in the prime minister election. “If the opposition parties put heads together, a change in government is possible,” Noda said. As a condition for accepting the proposal, Tamaki has urged the CDP to change its basic policies, including those on national security and nuclear energy. However, Noda said at the meeting that his party has no plans to change its goal of eliminating nuclear power from the country entirely. Tamaki indicated that he will monitor the talks between the parties’ secretaries-general, saying, “It isn’t too late for the party chiefs to meet again on Monday to reach a final decision.” Prior to the meeting, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi notified the steering committees of both chambers of the Diet of a plan to convene an extraordinary Diet session on Tuesday. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party then proposed holding a vote to elect the next prime minister on the first day of the session, but the opposition camp did not respond immediately. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]