CDP, DPFP, Nippon Ishin Chiefs to Meet Wed.

Tokyo, Oct. 14 (Jiji Press)–The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) and the Democratic Party for the People agreed Tuesday to hold a meeting of their leaders on Wednesday. The move comes as attention is focused on whether the three opposition parties can unite behind a single candidate in an upcoming parliamentary vote to choose the next prime minister. At Tuesday’s meeting of the three parties’ secretaries-general, the DPFP’s Kazuya Shinba told the CDP’s Jun Azumi that the DPFP needs the CDP to change its policies on the Constitution and energy if the two parties are to join forces. Meanwhile, Sanae Takaichi, new president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, plans to meet with each of the leaders of the three opposition parties on Wednesday, informed sources said. Prior to meeting with his CDP and Nippon Ishin counterparts on Tuesday, Shinba held talks with LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki, who called for the DPFP’s cooperation for a stable government after Komeito left the LDP-led ruling bloc. Suzuki noted that the LDP and the DPFP share similar views on the Constitution and energy policy. Shinba agreed that the two parties have similar basic philosophies, while urging the LDP to accept the DPFP’s proposals to raise the taxable income threshold and abolish the provisional gasoline tax rate by the end of the year. “We’ll see if you implement them,” he said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]