Ex-Lawmaker Ozawa’s Group Opens Office in Tokyo

Tokyo, May 9 (Jiji Press)–Isseikai, a group led by former lawmaker Ichiro Ozawa of the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, has opened an office near the parliament building in Tokyo. Ozawa, who lost his seat in the February election of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, has unveiled an idea of building a new political force. Some within the CRA view the move as part of preparation for a new party launch. “I hope anyone (who lost in the Lower House race), not only Isseikai members, can use it as a kind of hub,” Ozawa told reporters at an office opening ceremony Friday. He said he plans to use the office for exchanges with other defeated lawmakers. On the CRA, which suffered a crushing defeat in the general election, Ozawa said, “it can’t ever be” a force able to unseat the ruling bloc from power. “Many may think they need to build a new group,” he said. “One possible outcome could be creating a new party.” But he added that the discussions are not premised on the creation of a new party. Ozawa earned the nickname “destroyer” for repeatedly launching and dissolving parties in political realignments after leaving the Liberal Democratic Party, where he started his political career. Isseikai once had 22 lawmakers, also including members of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber. After the Lower House election, however, the number shrank to seven–one Lower House lawmaker of the CRA and six Upper House lawmakers of the affiliated Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Isseikai holds a regular meeting every Tuesday. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]