Opposition CDP Quits 3-Way Merger Plan with CRA, Komeito

Tokyo, Aug. 28 (Jiji Press)–The opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan informed the Centrist Reform Alliance and Komeito on Friday that it will not take part in a proposed merger with the two other opposition parties. The three parties had tried to form a “big bloc” to facilitate a change of government, but the merger plan has been brought to naught. Komeito, which called for an early merger, has grown increasingly distrustful of the CDP. “As a group, we won’t join the CRA,” CDP leader Shunichi Mizuoka told his counterparts from the CRA and Komeito, Junya Ogawa and Toshiko Takeya, at a meeting in the Diet, the country’s parliament. Meanwhile, Mizuoka expressed his desire to discuss cooperation with the two parties in the areas of parliamentary affairs, policies and elections. He also proposed creating a unified group with Komeito in the Senate, recently renamed from the House of Councillors, and cooperating in unified local elections next spring. “We hope to gather political forces aiming for a change of government again by the end of next year’s ordinary Diet session,” he said. Komeito Secretary-General Makoto Nishida, who also attended the meeting, rejected the idea of creating the unified group. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said that the parties’ fundamental policies “do not align.” “We want to choose what kind of framework is desirable from a wide range of options,” he said. CRA Secretary-General Takeshi Shina voiced hopes for his party to work together with the CDP and Komeito to move ahead. Before the three leaders’ meeting, the CDP held gatherings at party headquarters, confirming its decision not to merge with the two parties. The CRA and Komeito will hold internal discussions on how to respond to the outcome of the leaders’ meeting. The three leaders are scheduled to meet again Monday at the earliest. The CRA was created by House of Representatives members from the CDP and Komeito in January ahead of the February election for the lower chamber. The three parties started discussions in July to pursue a three-way merger. In a report released in late July, the three said they would reach their conclusion by the end of August. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]