Keidanren chair highly values idea of forming LDP-DPJ grand coalition

   Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) Chairman Mitarai Fujio at the Japan National Press Club on November 8 expressed his full support for the idea of forming a grand coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party which Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo and DPJ President Ozawa Ichiro discussed in their recent talks.

   Mitarai pointed out that it was Ozawa who proposed the idea in the talks, although Ozawa denied this. “Taking the political situation in which no bills have been enacted in the past two months into consideration, Mr. Ozawa, who feels responsible for creating such a situation as a politician and as a party head, has set out to resolve this problem,” Mitarai said.

   Mitarai said, “I highly value this idea” and expressed his disappointment, saying, “It is regrettable that the idea of forming such a grand coalition has faded away.”

   Mitarai called on the LDP and DPJ to promote consultations on policies, saying, “I highly appreciate the emergence of moves to have consultations on policies between the two parties after the talks. Diplomacy as well as pension policies are questions that concern the entire nation and population and must not be made a party issue.”
- Akahata, November 9, 2007