New Centrist Party Launched with Over 170 Lawmakers

Tokyo, Jan. 22 (Jiji Press)–The Centrist Reform Alliance, a new Japanese political party, was formally launched Thursday with some 170 House of Representatives lawmakers from the two founding opposition forces–the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, a former ally of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Almost all CDP and Komeito lawmakers in the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, Japan’s parliament, joined the new party, making it the main opposition party in the country. The new party aims to become the largest force in the Lower House through the Feb. 8 general election, which will be held after the chamber is dissolved Friday, in a bid to take power from the ruling pair of the LDP and the Japan Innovation Party. The Centrist Reform Alliance has decided to field 227 candidates in the election. Former CDP chief Yoshihiko Noda, 68, and former Komeito head Tetsuo Saito, 73, assumed the positions of co-leaders of the centrist party, while Jun Azumi, 64, and Hiromasa Nakano, 48, former secretaries-general of the CDP and Komeito respectively, became co-secretaries-general. The party’s pledges for the election, announced Thursday, include permanently abolishing the consumption tax on food and providing housing rent allowances. It aims to realize the consumption tax elimination for food in autumn this year. “Our passion is second to no other parties although the election will be held in cold weather,” Noda said at an inaugural convention for the new party, while criticizing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s decision to dissolve the Lower House. “I would like new party members to be united for the election.” “We need to expand the circle of moderate centrists in order to protect everyday life and peace,” Saito said, “I will bet my political career and the 61-year history of Komeito to help all our candidates win seats.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]