Ex-CRA Head Noda Apologizes over Botched Merger Plan

Tokyo, Sept. 7 (Jiji Press)–Yoshihiko Noda, former co-head of the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, on Monday apologized over a botched merger plan among the CRA, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito. “It’s truly disappointing and regrettable. I offer my deep apology,” Noda said in a blog post after the heads of the three opposition parties late last month confirmed that the groups will not merge. Noda became co-head when the CRA was launched in January by House of Representatives members from the CDP and Komeito ahead of a Lower House election in February. With a breakup of the CRA now appearing inevitable, Noda said that forming a new parliamentary group in the lower chamber among CRA members originally from the CDP and Komeito will be discussed as a new framework to expand centrist forces. “I won’t give up bringing together centrist forces,” the former prime minister said. The CRA was created “to be on the side of citizens who were suffering from high prices and put a stop to the wave of leaning toward the right and polarization from Europe and the United States,” Noda said. The CRA’s crushing defeat in the Lower House election “is probably the biggest reason that hampered the merger,” he said. Noting that the CRA garnered more than 10 million votes under the proportional representation system in the election, Noda said the party has “a great responsibility to live up to the mandate of the people.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]