CDPJ Senses Danger in Early Diet Dissolution; Noda Fears Difficulty in Building Fronts With JCP, Japan Innovation Party, Democratic Party for the People Before October 27 Election

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:09 JST, October 1, 2024

Newly elected Liberal Democratic Party President Shigeru Ishiba’s plan to hold a general election on Oct. 27 has vexed the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, who fear they won’t be able to reach agreements on cooperation with the other opposition parties in time for the race, resulting in their candidates running against each other and in smaller constituencies.

CDPJ leader Yoshihiko Noda told reporters in Tokyo on Monday, “It is disrespectful to the Diet that [Ishiba] has decided to dissolve the House of Representatives without even having been designated as prime minister.”

Noda said the CDPJ would field more than 200 candidates for the upcoming lower house election.

Tomoko Tamura who chairs the Japanese Communist Party said Monday at the party’s third central committee general meeting that the JCP would “field candidates to the maximum extent possible even in single-seat constituencies.”

Backlash against the CDPJ grew within the JCP when Noda showed a cautious stance on immediately repealing unconstitutional portions of security-related laws.

“The conditions for us to build a united front [with the CDPJ] have been fundamentally undermined,” Tamura said.

Noda insists that there be only one opposition party fielding a candidate in constituencies where LDP candidates have been weakened by their involvement in the political funds scandals of the party’s factions. But, Japan Innovation Party Secretary General Fumitake Fujita said Monday at a press conference, “It is quite difficult to do so.”

Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki also said, “We will make a decision after listening to what the CDPJ has to say.”