CDP, Komeito Agree to Form New Party before General Election

Tokyo, Jan. 15 (Jiji Press)–Leaders of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, also an opposition party, agreed Thursday to form a new centrist party consisting of the two parties’ House of Representatives lawmakers ahead of the next general election for the lower chamber of the country’s parliament. The agreement was reached between CDP head Yoshihiko Noda and Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito at the day’s meeting. They will serve as co-heads of the new party, the name of which will be decided as early as Friday. The move came after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told senior officials of the ruling bloc Wednesday that she plans to announce her intention Monday to dissolve the Lower House for a snap general election. The CDP and Komeito will create a unified proportional representation list for the Lower House election featuring candidates joining the new party. Both parties will maintain their current structures, and members of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, and local assembly members will continue their affiliations. Noda told reporters after the meeting that he would invite lawmakers of other parties, including the opposition Democratic Party for the People, to join the new party. Also speaking to reporters, Saito said, “We aim for inclusiveness and a symbiotic society” through the creation of the new party. He also stated that Komeito would not field candidates in single-seat constituencies in the upcoming Lower House election. Saito said he will run for the new party in the proportional representation system’s Chugoku bloc in western Japan. Prior to the meeting, the CDP entrusted Noda with the handling of the new party at a general meeting of CDP members of both chambers of parliament. Komeito also assigned Saito to manage the issue at a meeting of party executives. Earlier in the day, CDP Secretary-General Jun Azumi told reporters that the CDP has called on Komeito to join forces in the next Lower House election. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]