Democratic Party Embarks On

Democratic Party of Japan and Innovation Party established new party called Minshinto on Sunday, which English name was decided to be Democratic Party. They elected former President of DPJ, Katsuya Okada, for the president of new party. The integration was achieved with firm determination to counter unilateral power of Liberal Democratic Party led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. However, it is still unclear what kind of policy the new party will promote.

New party holds 96 lawmakers in House of Representatives and 60 in House of Councillors. In House of Representatives, some lawmakers with small fraction also joined as one group. 5 lawmakers with Innovation Party in House of Councillors were left independent, due to the restrictive rule of moving between parties. However, the leading coalition of LDP and Komeito still possesses 326 out of total 475 in House of Representatives and 135 out of total 242 in House of Councillors.

Receiving insistence of Innovation Party to have equal merger, DPJ side took care of treatment for lawmakers from the other side. But, major posts of new party were occupied by former DPJ lawmakers, except Deputy President, Kenji Eda. Former DPJ Secretary General, Yukio Edano, sat on new Secretary General of DP. Chairpersons of Policy Council, Election Committee and Diet Affairs Committee were chosen from DPJ. Although Democratic Innovation Party was once an option of new party name, it was dropped with the reason that its abbreviation DIP could mean jerk in broken English.

So, is the integration enough for countering big leading coalition? The answer is no. To enlarge its power, DP needs to make a greater framework of political cooperation with other parties, namely Japan Communist Party or Social Democratic Party. Among 32 electoral districts for one seat each in House of Councillors, those opposite parties agreed on raising united candidate in 8 districts. They keep on discussing further cooperation in other districts.

Policy integration is, however, the biggest problem for DP. While there are differences in some policies of the opposite parties, integrated candidate will face criticism against populism without political consensus. There remains inside DP a policy rift between former DPJ and Innovation Party, on consumption tax hike, for example. Although they agreed on abolishing new security legislation, being passed in the Diet with unilateral support of the leading parties, they still need to accumulate common policies in economy, social security or reform of the executive branch of Japanese government. In a poll by Kyodo News Agency, 67% responders answered that DP would not be hopeful.