EXCLUSIVE: Komeito Mulls Announcing Merger into CRA in July

Tokyo, June 7 (Jiji Press)–Komeito, a Japanese opposition party, is considering announcing its merger into the Centrist Reform Alliance in July, sources familiar with the situation have told Jiji Press. Komeito is planning to make a formal decision at a party convention in September and complete the merger later this year, assuming that its local chapters will also merge into the CRA in the future. The CRA was formed ahead of this February’s House of Representatives election, bringing together Lower House members from Komeito and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. It was anticipated that the remaining members of the two parties would also join the CRA later. However, the new party suffered a humiliating defeat in the general election, stalling the momentum for the full merger of the three parties. Frustrated with the current situation, Komeito may unilaterally declare its merger into the CRA, the sources said. Senior members of the three parties, including CRA leader Junya Ogawa and Secretary-General Takeshi Shina, Komeito Secretary-General Makoto Nishida and CDP Secretary-General Masayo Tanabu, have frequently met around the Diet building to discuss the three parties’ merger. The sticking points for the merger are electoral cooperation, emphasized by the CRA and the CDP, and the treatment of Komeito candidates. Regarding the next House of Councillors election, set for 2028, Komeito has proposed narrowing its lists of both constituency and proportional representation candidates and supporting proportional representation candidates linked to labor unions. Meanwhile, the CRA has requested that the policy of placing Komeito candidates high on its list of proportional representation candidates be reviewed and that Komeito candidates run for both constituency and proportional representation seats. Komeito is currently considering its response to these requests. While planning to campaign independently in next spring’s unified local elections, Komeito is calling for the three parties to announce their merger before the end of the ongoing Diest session on July 17. Komeito has informed the CRA and the CDP of its intention to realize their full merger, including their local chapters, in the future. “We’ll drop the banner of Komeito in national politics,” said a senior Komeito member. “We’re determined not to turn back.” On Friday, Komeito head Toshiko Takeya told reporters, “It’s time to announce a certain direction.” “In July, the CRA will reach half a year since its formation,” a Komeito source said. “It’s not good to continue treading water without drawing a conclusion.” Referring to the recent launch of a new political group by former CDP leader Yukio Edano, who lost his Lower House seat in the February election, the source criticized the CDP and the CRA for not working to unite their members. Within the CDP, many senior members, including its leader, Shunichi Mizuoka, remain cautious about joining the CRA, claiming that it will take time to build consensus among its local chapters. As some labor unions urge the CDP to join the CRA soon, observers say the CDP may fall apart. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]