Japan Press Weekly

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2009 April 29 - May 12 [POLITICS]

Ruling coalition should set early general election date: JCP Kokuta

Japanese Communist Party Diet Policy Commission Chair Kokuta Keiji said on April 22 that the ruling parties should set an early date to dissolve the House of Representatives for a general election.

He was referring to Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura Takeo’s remark that the prime minister cannot ignore the Komei Party’s opinion in deciding on the election schedule because it is the Liberal Democratic Party’s coalition partner.

Kokuta said, “An election cannot be scheduled based on the ruling parties’ selfish motives. It is extraordinary for them to continue with a government without voters’ approval. A general election should be carried out by offering different ideas on fundamental political issues.”

Komei Party leader Ota Akihiro reportedly had a secret meeting with the prime minister and requested that the general election be held after the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election on July 12.

Komei Secretary General Kitagawa Kazuo has stated that sometime after mid-August would be appropriate for holding the general election because the GDP figure between April and June will be announced by then.

The chief cabinet secretary also stated that since the Komei Party has warned that it cannot afford to provide the LDP with electoral support if the general election is held before the metropolitan assembly election, that it is not wise for the LDP to set the election date when it cannot count on support from Komei.

Asked by reporters about Kawamura’s remark, Prime Minister Aso Taro on the same day said, “We carefully consider our partners’ opinions on a daily basis, but we do not determine the election date based on them.”