Four opposition parties agree to jointly struggle for preventing adverse
revision of election system

The four opposition parties in a meeting on October 31 agreed to join
forces against the ruling coalition's proposal for an adverse revision of
the House of Representatives election system.

Meeting in the Diet Building were secretaries general of the Japanese
Communist Party, the Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, and the Social
Democratic Party.

The ruling Liberal Democratic, Komei and Conservative parties wanted to
partially revive the multiple-seat constituencies in the election system and
agreed on September 19 on a "reform" plan to introduce multiple-seats
constituencies in Tokyo and other big cities.

The "reform" plan was made in response to a strong request from the Komei
Party which failed in the 2000 general election to win seats in single-seat
constituencies.

But the "reform" plan was criticized by both the public and LDP
Dietmembers. The LDP proposed a second "reform" plan, but it was again
attacked by its Dietmembers for being groundless and unconstitutional.

The three ruling parties on October 31 agreed that their previous
"agreement" on reviving the multiple-seat constituencies should be canceled
and that they will jointly make a fundamental review of the election system
next year.

Blaming such ruling parties' moves for conflicting with public opinion
and parliamentary democracy, the four opposition parties agreed to fight
against such moves based only on the ruling parties' interests. (end)