New Centrist Party in Japan to Focus on Realistic Policies

Tokyo, Jan. 19 (Jiji Press)–The Centrist Reform Alliance, a new party launched by the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, is expected to take realistic approaches on various issues including national security, it was learned Monday. Regarding security policy, where the CDP and Komeito have a gap in their stances, the new party is expected to state in its basic policies that “exercising the right to self-defense in a so-called survival-threatening situation as defined by Japan’s national security-related laws is constitutional,” according to a draft. Regarding nuclear power, another key focus, the draft said that the new party aims realize a society that does not depend on nuclear power in the future, while accepting the restart of nuclear plants confirmed to be safe. By taking realistic approaches to demonstrate governance capability, the new party aims to become the largest force in the next election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament. The new party will announce its basic policies later on Monday. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]