FOCUS: CDP, Komeito Aiming for Survival through New Party

Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)–In a surprising move, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, which had competed fiercely for many years, have opted to form a new party as a way to break the stalemate facing the two parties. With Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a hard-line conservative, set to dissolve the House of Representatives soon for a snap general election, executives of the CDP and Komeito believe that the two parties have no choice but to bolster their images by pushing ahead with centrist policies for their survival. It remains to be seen whether the new party can produce synergy effects, however. Many in the two parties have been unable to catch up with the latest development. Meanwhile, the course of the planned new party will likely be the focus of the upcoming general election because it may change the country’s political landscape depending on developments going forward. The new centrist party will be made up of only the two parties’ lawmakers in the all-important Lower House. The CDP and Komeito have a total of 172 lawmakers in the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, compared with 196 at the Takaichi-led ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Takaichi is likely to dissolve the Lower House on Jan. 23, at the start of this year’s ordinary Diet session. The subsequent general election is expected to be set for Feb. 8, with the official campaign period seen starting Jan. 27. Anti-Takaichi Sentiment “We’ll fight by setting up a new party,” CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda said after holding a meeting with Komeito chief Tetsuo Saito on Thursday The CDP, including during its days as the Democratic Party of Japan, had been at odds with Komeito over security and nuclear energy policies. However, Komeito disbanded its ruling coalition with the LDP in October 2025, when the Takaichi cabinet was launched, putting an end to the two parties’ cooperation that had lasted about a quarter century. With Komeito campaigning for centrist reforms, Noda approached the party, apparently due to concern that the CDP could lose its presence amid the rise of the opposition Democratic Party for the People and up-and-coming party Sanseito. Both Noda and Saito were members of the now-defunct New Frontier Party, which brought together politicians opposing the LDP in the mid-1990s. Many senior members of the CDP and Komeito are close to each other, and executives of the two parties, including their secretaries-general, had contact behind the scenes late last year. The CDP has started in-house discussions, including on the possibility of tolerating the country’s national security legislation. The two parties accelerated their moves after the turn of the year, following growing speculation that Takaichi may dissolve the Lower House soon. A sense of crisis spread within the CDP and Komeito, which fared poorly in last summer’s election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, amid expectations that the Takaichi administration may last at least the next couple of years if the LDP wins big in the upcoming Lower House general election on the back of the highly popular prime minister. Senior officials of Komeito have been increasingly alarmed by the conservative prime minister, who seeks to review the country’s national security policy and policy toward foreigners. “We cannot tolerate the Takaichi administration,” a Komeito executive said. In response to such concern, CDP Secretary-General Jun Azumi proposed to Komeito a set of concrete measures for electoral cooperation, including the creation of a unified list of candidates for the proportional representation system in the upcoming general election. On Wednesday, Komeito decided to form a new party with the CDP. Lay Buddhist group Soka Gakkai, the main support group for Komeito, gave its consent to the new party plan. Political Realignment The plan to establish a new party sent shock waves through the CDP and Komeito. As the envisioned party’s platform may tolerate the national security legislation, many CDP lawmakers voiced frustration at a meeting held Thursday. “We need to provide a clear explanation to liberal members who have supported out party,” one of the lawmakers said. “I have received opinions opposing” the CDP-Komeito partnership, another said. A veteran Komeito lawmaker said that Saito “should retire (from politics).” Still, the two parties have many in common in their policies, including advocating the introduction of a selective dual surname system for married couples and introducing strict regulations over issues related to politics and money. Senior officials of the two parties apparently aim to start moves for political realignment also involving some DPFP and LDP lawmakers, using the planned new party as a springboard. After Thursday’s meeting with Noda, Saito said that he has contacted “moderate members” of the DPFP and the LDP. Noda said, “I hope to achieve results (in the upcoming general election) and make it a milestone for political realignment.” Views are mixed within the LDP about the new CDP-Komeito party. “Both the CDP and Komeito lack momentum, so (their partnership) won’t work,” a senior LDP official said, suggesting that the new party will have only a limited impact on the general election. But the LDP can no longer expect to rely on votes from Komeito supporters. “I wish (Komeito) had opted to be neutral,” instead of joining hands with the CDP, an LDP member said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]