Ex-CDP Members Seen to Form New Party after Leaving CRA

Tokyo, Sept. 8 (Jiji Press)–Members of the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan are considering forming a new party after leaving the CRA following the failure of a planned merger among the CRA, the CDP and Komeito, it was learned Tuesday. CRA members from Komeito are expected to leave the CRA and return to Komeito by the end of this month at the earliest, informed sources said. The CRA is set to continue to exist with only one lawmaker, primarily to handle financial matters. CRA leader Junya Ogawa is expected to explain the policy to its members Wednesday. Ogawa and other CRA executives held a meeting Tuesday to discuss responses after the three opposition parties recently gave up their merger plan. In the case of a party split, lawmakers who leave the party will not be eligible to receive the undistributed portion of this year’s public funding for political parties, while the surviving party will receive the full remaining amount. According to informed sources, the CRA will mainly use the remaining government subsidies it received as a political party to repay debts it incurred following its formation in January. The CRA will also continue to provide assistance to those who failed to win their seats in the February election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, on CRA tickets. The CRA has 21 Lower House lawmakers from the CDP and 28 Lower House lawmakers from Komeito. One member from the CDP plans to remain as a CRA lawmaker. The envisaged joint parliamentary group is intended to maintain a position as the largest opposition force in the Lower House and take the lead among opposition parties in parliamentary deliberations. It is also considering cooperation with other opposition parties, including the Democratic Party for the People, to counter the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]