INTERVIEW: Komeito's New Chief Eyes Political Realignment

Tokyo, Oct. 13 (Jiji Press)--Mitsunari Okamoto, newly elected leader of Japanese opposition party Komeito, said in a recent interview with Jiji Press that he aims to make the party a rallying point for political realignment, emphasizing his determination to advance policy-oriented cooperation with political forces sharing similar values.

On Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Okamoto said that while she appears to have strong leadership qualities and enjoys high public expectations, she also has some shortcomings as a leader.

Unlike during the administration of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, there are probably few people opposed to the prime minister at this point, he said, adding that it is "extremely important to listen to a wide range of opinions that differ from your own when making a decision."

The planned three-way merger of the Centrist Reform Alliance, Komeito, and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan was abandoned in August.

Okamoto said one lesson was that there were not enough people who were fully convinced of and supportive of the formation of the CRA. The party was formed in January to unite lawmakers from the CDP and Komeito then serving in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the country's parliament.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]