CRA Goes to Separation

The biggest opposition party in the Diet, the Central Reform Alliance (CRA), is destined to separate into two with former party line between the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) and Komeito. The movement to construct a major group as the alternative of ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) came to an end in seven months. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seems to be obtaining further arbitrary power in politics with fragmentation of opposition powers. 

In the trilateral meeting of leaders with CRA, CDPJ and Komeito on August 31st, they reconfirmed that CDPJ will not join the CRA. Although Komeito had been willing to join the CRA, even if the CDPJ would be delayed in the merger, it changed its stance when it realized the reluctance of the CDPJ. Komeito dismissed a proposal from the CDPJ to form a parliamentary group in the Upper House.

 

When the CRA is divided into two parties, governmental subsidy for the party would evenly be divided. But if they take a choice that some lawmakers leave the party, the subsidy would not be evenly divided. This is the greatest issue for the members of CRA. The leader of CRA, Jun-ya Ogawa, hopes to keep the tie as a parliamentary group in the Lower House.

 

The members indicated that difference in policies was the main reason of division. In fact, party members from the CDPJ and Komeito did not reach a compromise in constitutionality of 2015 security legislation, elimination of nuclear power generation or construction of new base in Henoko, Okinawa. In the campaign for gubernatorial election of Okinawa on September 13th, the CDPJ and Komeito support different candidates.

 

However, the biggest failure was that the CRA gave the CDPJ and Komeito time for considering merger. It is undeniable that the party was established by Lower House members of the CDPJ and Komeito for their election in February. But the party failed in immediately integrating the Upper House members. As the parties were discussing further merger, the local organizations of the CDPJ gradually realized the difficulty of having unified election campaigns with Komeito. They examined merit and demerit of integration with Komeito, and demerit won.

 

Division of the CRA means fragmentation of opposition parties. The party has 49 seats in the Lower House, 21 from former CDPJ and 28 from former Komeito. After they separate each other, Komeito, or their new party, will be the biggest opposition party in the Lower House. The CRA gained 10 million votes in proportional district in February election, which amounts a half of votes for the LDP. Those votes will be divided into two, without exercising the power as the first opposition party.

 

In 1960s, during the Cold War era, the biggest opposition party, Japan Socialist Party, occupied 30 percent of the seats in Lower House. New Frontier Party, established after separation of the LDP, won 31 percent of votes in Lower House election in 1996. Democratic Party of Japan maintained 26 percent of seats in the election in 2000. Now, the CRA has only 10 percent of Lower House seats and it will be divided. The power of LDP is relatively enhanced by the trouble in the opposition parties.

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