Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–A new Japanese political party formed by former lawmakers of the Centrist Reform Alliance reported its establishment to the internal affairs ministry on Thursday. The new Democratic Reform Party is headed by former CRA leader Junya Ogawa and comprises five former CRA members who had joined the CRA from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, including former CRA Secretary-General Takeshi Shina and former health minister Akira Nagatsuma. It will accept new members later. The CRA was formed in January to unite then House of Representatives lawmakers from the CDP and Komeito ahead of the Lower House election in February. Following its crushing defeat in the election, the CRA decided to disband earlier this month. CRA members from Komeito will return to their original party. The new party basically inherited the CRA’s policy platform, which featured five pillars including shifting to policies for sustainable economic growth and deepening discussions on realistic foreign and defense policies and constitutional reform. “We will target a change in government by promoting centrist politics,” Shina, who became the new party’s secretary-general, told reporters. “For that purpose, we will cooperate with Komeito, the CDP and other opposition parties.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
