Rengo Chief to Skip LDP Meeting ahead of Local Elections

Tokyo, Feb. 15 (Jiji Press)--The leader of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, or Rengo, does not plan to attend an upcoming party convention of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, it was learned Wednesday.

Rengo President Tomoko Yoshino apparently believes that it would be undesirable for her to be regarded as being too close to the LDP ahead of unified local elections in April, informed sources said.

Rengo is a major support base for the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and also for the Democratic Party for the People, both opposition parties.

Although Rengo initially considered attendance at the Feb. 26 LDP convention by Yoshino, some Rengo officials indicated concerns over a negative impact at the local elections, prompting the LDP to forgo a plan to extend an official invitation for her, according to the sources.

Since then Rengo President Kiyoshi Sasamori attended the 2005 party convention of the LDP, no Rengo chiefs have taken part in an LDP convention.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]