Stepping to Grand Opposite Coalition

Attempts of the opposite party for united effort to defeat the leading parties are appearing to be accelerated. Adding to the agreement between Democratic Party of Japan and Innovation Party to have united group in the Diet, Japan Communist Party shows willingness for cooperation in national elections. Opposing unilateral reform of Japanese government by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, they are concentrating political power to get back to normal.

DPJ, JCP, Innovation and Social Democratic Party announced that they would raise a lawyer, Hiromi Abe, as their first common candidate for next election of House of Councillors next summer. It was achieved by the decision of JCP, which had independently been supporting its party candidate in every electoral district. “It will be the last chance to ask protecting constitutionalism and democracy of this country,” told Abe in her press conference.

The first showdown will be done in April, few months before the upper house election. For a supplementary election in Hokkaido 5^th district of House of Representatives next April, seeking an empty seat by decease of former Speaker Nobutaka Machimura, JCP considers supporting DPJ candidate without raising party candidate. JCP Chairman, Kazuo Shii, declared that his party would pull down its already declared party candidate, Mika Hashimoto, to establish basis of grand coalition against leading regime by Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito.

Asahi Shimbun revealed a story that Shii became active for the opposite coalition with relationship with former king maker, Ichiro Ozawa. JCP supported incumbent governor of Iwate, Tatsuya Tasso, former colleague of Ozawa, in Iwate gubernatorial election. During the campaign, Shii told Ozawa in a bullet train from Morioka to Tokyo that political struggle after passing new security law would be important. Ozawa replied to Shii that the opposite parties would not defeat LDP as long as they insisted on independent strategy. A month later, Shii emphasized reform of JCP for “national united government,” for which his party would review its traditional policy of cancellation of Japan-United States security treaty or abolishment of Emperor system.

Problem rather exists in DPJ than in JCP. Conservative lawmakers in DPJ, who attempted to dissolve the party for integration with former Innovation Party led by Toru Hashimoto, are determined to oppose coalition with JCP. Some argue that cooperation with JCP will reduce votes of DCP candidates. DPJ seems to make no important decision forever.