Japan's New Centrist Party to Be Launched with Over 160 Lawmakers

Tokyo, Jan. 20 (Jiji Press)--The Centrist Reform Alliance, a new political party of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, a former ruling coalition member, will be launched with over 160 House of Representatives lawmakers.

The CDP said Tuesday that 144 of its 148 lawmakers in the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, will join the Centrist Reform Alliance ahead of the Feb. 8 Lower House general election.

Of the remaining four, two will retire and the other two, including former internal affairs minister Kazuhiro Haraguchi, have decided not to take part in the new party.

"We will do our best to be recognized as a force capable of competing against the (ruling) Liberal Democratic Party," CDP Secretary-General Jun Azumi told reporters.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said at a meeting of LDP executives the same day that her party is determined to "fight as one and win" the closely watched election. She is set to dissolve the Lower House on Friday, at the beginning of this year's ordinary Diet session.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]