United against Big Leading Party

The Presidents of Democratic Party of Japan and Innovation Party, Katsuya Okada and Yorihisa Matsuno, agreed on to establish new political group in the Diet starting next session. Main purpose was to enhance mutual credibility for achieving replaceable government with possibility of concentration of both parties. They released common policies for the election of House of Councillors next summer. However, it is still unclear whether those two parties are going to make progress in hand-in-hand manner.

After leaving government in late 2012, DPJ has been an underdog of sweeping Shinzo Abe administration. The biggest opposite party has exercised nothing against unilateral policies, including legislation for concealing designated secrets of the government, cabinet decision for reinterpreting Constitution of Japan to allow exercising collective self-defense right or redefining Japan-United States alliance. DPJ has not shown its resilience from devastating defeat in the general election in 2012.

Innovation Party has been deadlocked with internal dispute over political direction they would choose. Having been a cooperative body for surviving elections, Innovation Party reiterated collision among Osaka group led by Toru Hashimoto, Tokyo conservative group represented by former lawmaker Shintaro Ishihara, and some lawmakers fled from DPJ with quarrel over policies. After split between regional unit in Osaka and lawmakers in Tokyo, the party was doomed to be eliminated.

One common cause for them was to be united against leading party, or Liberal Democratic Party. “Our two parties are going to make united efforts to compete with big leading parties,” told Okada. “To maintain tension in the Diet, which structure has been big one and small others, the opposite parties cannot be fragmented,” followed Matsuno.

They upheld seven common policies, including realistic security policy or reform painful for the politicians. On new security legislation, they agreed on abolishing all unconstitutional provisions. With initiative of Innovation Party, they embraced a goal of reducing cost for human resource of bureaucracy by 20%. Achieving zero nuclear energy in 2030s was another policy they shared.

While Matsuno looked forward to party integration, Okada was negative on it. Making matters complicated, some conservatives in DPJ require party integration with dissolution of DPJ. Former DPJ Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said to have been frustrated with cooperation with Matsuno, who left DPJ opposing consumption tax hike policy of Noda administration. Internal dispute and no progress is still a big problem for DPJ.