CDPJ Convention: Reason for Slumping Public Support Obvious

Editorial

14:59 JST, March 31, 2026

An opposition party should put forward clear ideals and a vision for the nation, present alternative proposals to the government and ruling parties, and engage in constructive debate. Only such a strong opposition can create a sense of tension in politics.

However, when observing the questioning by major opposition parties in the Diet, what stands out is nothing but nitpicking aimed at the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. This falls far short of serving as a counterpart to the dominant ruling parties.

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan has held its national convention and decided on its action plan for the coming fiscal year, which included items such as refining policies “based on our platform and basic policies.” Regarding its relationship with the Centrist Reform Alliance and Komeito, the party merely noted that it would “clarify related matters as we proceed with cooperation.”

The CRA, formed by CDPJ and Komeito members of the House of Representatives just before the dissolution of the lower house in January, had anticipated that CDPJ and Komeito members of the House of Councillors and the parties’ local organizations would join the CRA after the lower house election.

However, because the CRA suffered a crushing defeat in the lower house election, the three parties — the CRA, the CDPJ and Komeito — continue to operate separately, leaving the idea of joining up in the air.

The CDPJ had intended to explicitly state in its action plan that the party would reach a conclusion on whether to merge by June of next year, but it was unable to consolidate opinions and decided not to include such a statement.

In next spring’s unified local elections, the CDPJ and Komeito will engage in election battles separately. The CDPJ leadership appears to believe that getting CDPJ and Komeito members to join the CRA would be easier after the elections. However, there is reportedly strong resistance to the idea of joining at the local level.

Furthermore, there are lawmakers within the CDPJ who harbor concerns about merging with Komeito for the 2028 upper house election.

In the proportional representation segment of the upper house election, the number of seats each party wins is determined by combining the number of votes cast for a party and the number of votes cast for an individual candidate. And in principle, candidates are elected from that pool in the order of the highest number of individual votes received. In the previous upper house election, there were many instances in which Komeito’s successful candidates received more individual votes than the CDPJ candidates who were elected.

If the CDPJ and Komeito were to join forces for the next upper house election and apply the individual vote totals from the previous election to the proportional representation race, it is highly likely that Komeito candidates would secure the top spots, while CDPJ candidates would struggle.

To form a dominant opposition party by joining hands, it is essential for the three parties to align their ideals and basic policies. If they set aside such efforts and focus solely on reckoning electoral gains and losses, they cannot expect to restore the strength of their parties.

The CDPJ, the CRA and Komeito had indicated their willingness to respond to the government’s call to participate in the National Council on Social Security, but they did not specify when they would join.

Subsequently, after the government accepted the three parties’ demands and decided to compile a provisional budget, they announced their participation and attended a working-level meeting last week. It is deplorable that they prioritize political maneuvering over discussions on social security reform.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 31, 2026)