Nippon Ishin to Aim for LDP-Komeito to Lose Lower House Majority

Jiji Press

10:52 JST, March 25, 2024

Kyoto (Jiji Press)—Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) adopted a new campaign policy at a party convention in the western Japan city of Kyoto on Sunday, aiming to make the Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito ruling coalition lose its majority in the next House of Representatives election.

At the same time, Nippon Ishin maintained its existing goal of becoming the largest opposition party in the next Lower House election.

“We will realize a two-party system in Japan with conservative parties competing on reforms,” Nippon Ishin leader Nobuyuki Baba said in a speech.

Noting that a Lower House dissolution for a snap election is possible in June, Baba said, “The next general election will surely start a process of deciding Japan’s future.”

“The time has come for us to accelerate efforts to replace the LDP or to become a governing party that brings a sense of tension to the LDP,” Baba stressed.

Nippon Ishin co-leader Hirofumi Yoshimura said that the party has not yet seen an atmosphere in which people trust the party, and called for speeding up preparations for the next general election.

The new campaign policy also calls for aiming to win power within the next three Lower House elections.

Meanwhile, Nippon Ishin revised party rules to impose a blanket ban on receiving donations from companies and other organizations.

Asked at a press conference after the party convention about the possibility of adjusting candidates with the current main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Baba said, “Election cooperation is not possible unless the CDP is willing to withdraw candidates in 70 to 80 constituencies.”

Kyoto hosted Nippon Ishin’s party convention for the first time.

The party convention was also attended by Seiji Maehara, head of a party seeking to realize free education, with which Nippon Ishin has formed a parliamentary group. “Let’s fight together” for the next general election, Maehara told Nippon Ishin members.