DPFP Rejects Joining Japan’s Ruling Bloc

Tokyo, Feb. 9 (Jiji Press)–The opposition Democratic Party for the People has rejected the possibility of joining Japan’s governing coalition, after the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party secured a standalone majority in Sunday’s House of Representatives election. The DPFP will seek to build momentum while achieving its policy goals through its stance of seeking “resolution over confrontation.” “It’s meaningless and unnecessary,” DPFP leader Yuichiro Tamaki said on an NHK television program Sunday evening, referring to the idea of joining the ruling bloc. “We will cooperate to advance good policies and reject those that are bad,” Tamaki added, emphasizing his stance of working with the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on a policy-by-policy basis. The DPFP agreed last December to cooperate to pass the fiscal 2026 state budget within the current fiscal year through this March, in exchange for an LDP agreement with the DPFP policy of hiking the taxable income threshold further. But the Lower House dissolution for the latest election has made it unlikely that the budget can be passed by the end of March. Tamaki avoided commenting on whether his party would vote in favor of the budget, saying, “I want to make a decision based on what (the LDP) says it will do.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]