Confluence of Opposite Parties

It is still unclear whether the coalition can be a viable opposite power against great leading parties. Democratic Party of Japan and Japan Innovation Party overwhelmingly agreed on party integration before the election of the House of Councillors this summer. To counter unilateral advance of Liberal Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, they realized the necessity of greater core for political concentration. However, the effort is halfway, leaving policy behind.

The baseline of their integration had been dissolving both parties and establish new party for them to join. With legal requirement, some lawmakers of Innovation Party elected in the proportional representative could not change party affiliation, even though joining a new party would be decided. But, the size of both parties was different. While DPJ had 131 lawmakers, Innovation Party did 26. It is inevitable that DPJ members were frustrated with that unbalanced idea.

The final answer would be highly technological. According to news reports, DPJ is expecting that most lawmakers with DPJ will temporary leave the party, the rest will remain for maintenance of party organization, Innovation Party will be dissolved, DPJ will change the name of the party, and ex-DPJ lawmakers will return to the party with lawmakers from Innovation Party. This is the same method as DPJ used for party reintegration in 1998. The name of new party is considered as “Constitutional Democratic Party” or “Democratic Progress Party,” which can use an abbreviation of “Democrats” in the voting for elections.

Cooperative moves in the opposite parties accelerated the discussion. Five opposite parties submitted a bill for abolishment of new security legislation by Abe Cabinet last week. Even Japan Communist Party announced its willingness to turn down their candidates to concentrate the votes against Abe administration to an opposite candidate. DPJ and Innovation Party realized that this was the last chance before summer election for them to conclude their integration.

However, both parties have a significant difference over some basic policies. Innovation Party has been opposing consumption tax hike, which was initiated by DPJ administration. DPJ is not so radical as Innovation Party in decentralizing governmental power to local governments. Represented by President Yorihisa Matsuno, most lawmakers in Innovation Party once affiliated to DPJ. Even how they are appealing freshness of new party, it is possible for the integration to be resulted as making asylum of jeopardized lawmakers.