EXCLUSIVE: More CDP Prefectural Chapters Oppose Merger into CRA

Tokyo, July 22 (Jiji Press)–More prefectural chapters of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan oppose than support the opposition party’s possible merger into the Centrist Reform Alliance, a Jiji Press survey showed Wednesday. In the survey of senior prefectural chapter officials earlier this month, 15 chapters expressed opposition, outnumbering the 7 chapters that showed support, while 25 chapters did not answer. Six months ago, the CRA was formed by House of Representatives lawmakers of the CDP and Komeito. After the new party suffered a crushing defeat in the Lower House election in February, many of the CDP’s local organizations seem reluctant to join the CRA. Only the CDP chapter in Kagawa, home to CRA leader Junya Ogawa, clearly backed the possible merger. Six chapters, including those in Hokkaido and Ishikawa, said they would rather support the merger. The 15 chapters that expressed opposition included those in Nagano, Shizuoka and Hyogo. Among the 25 chapters that did not oppose or support the merger, the chapter in Iwate said that it would be best for the CRA to integrate into the CDP. When asked about the most desirable merger scenario, seven chapters favored one in which the CDP, the CRA and Komeito would form and integrate into a new party. Four called on the three parties to only cooperate in the Diet and elections. Two said that the CRA should be dissolved into the CDP and Komeito. One pointed to integration into the CRA. While the CRA and Komeito are seeking to launch a new organization before an extraordinary Diet session expected in the autumn, only four CDP chapters, including those in Fukushima and Yamanashi, viewed this positively. Eighteen chapters, including those in Miyagi and Okinawa, called for discussions on the matter without a set deadline. Eleven chapters, including those in Tokyo and Fukuoka, said that the three parties should seek to merge after next spring’s unified local elections. As priorities in the merger talks, 14 prefectural chapters cited an agreement on a platform and basic policies, six mentioned the structure of party headquarters and local organizations, and four emphasized cooperation in national elections. Elsewhere in the survey, the Akita chapter said that the CDP, the CRA and Komeito should not merge but cooperate on a policy-by-policy basis if they have different policies on key issues, such as national security and the Constitution. The chapter in Okinawa, where a gubernatorial election is scheduled for September, noted that the CDP and Komeito have different positions on the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma air station in the Okinawa city of Ginowan to the Henoko coastal district of Nago, another city in the prefecture, adding that public trust cannot be gained as long as the gap remains. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]