Japan’s CRA, CDP, Komeito Confirm Merger Cancellation

Tokyo, Aug. 31 (Jiji Press)–The leaders of the Centrist Reform Alliance, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito confirmed at a meeting Monday that the three opposition parties will not merge, a development probably leading to the breakup of the CRA. The CRA’s attempt to counter the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ended in failure about seven months after its launch. CRA executives plan to split the party into two–one making up of members hailing from the CDP and the other comprising those originally from Komeito–and for the two forces to form a new group in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, the country’s parliament. Still, it is uncertain whether the plan will be realized as some of the members from the CDP are already distancing themselves from the CRA. “We want to find a new framework that allows fellow CRA lawmakers to become active again in order to expand centrist forces and realize a change of government,” CRA leader Junya Ogawa told the meeting with CDP head Shunichi Mizuoka and Komeito chief Toshiko Takeya. Ogawa said that he will aim to create a unified group within the Lower House to “preserve the axis for bringing together CRA members.” Meanwhile, Takeya denied a two-way merger between the CRA and Komeito, indicating that her party’s lawmakers in the Senate, the upper parliamentary chamber formerly called the House of Councillors, will not join the CRA. The CRA is set to consider specific ways to divide up the party. After the Monday meeting, Ogawa told reporters, “We’ll consider the transition to the new framework quickly and carefully in the run-up to an extraordinary Diet session in autumn.” On whether he will step down or remain as CRA chief, Ogawa said, “I’ll carefully consider (my fate) after we’ve mapped out what’ll happen (to the party).” Established in January by then Lower House members of the CDP and Komeito, the CRA was expected to be joined by CDP and Komeito members from the Senate as well as their local assembly members after the Feb. 8 Lower House general election. In the wake of the CRA’s crushing defeat in the election, however, the three-way merger plan faced cautious and opposing views. The three parties launched merger talks in early July and agreed to reach a conclusion by the end of August. At the three leaders’ meeting Friday, the CDP informed the CRA and Komeito that it would not take part in the proposed merger. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]