Political parties began gearing up in earnest for the upcoming House of Representatives election on Saturday, a day after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved the lower chamber of parliament.
Takayuki Kobayashi, policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said at a news conference in the city of Chiba that the ruling bloc will ¡°create a strong economy by decisively carrying out responsible and proactive fiscal policy¡± advocated by the prime minister.
Noting that the Japanese Innovation Party has joined the ruling bloc after the LDP¡¯s previous partner Komeito left the coalition, Kobayashi said that the Feb. 8 Lower House poll will be ¡°an election to ask the public whether Takaichi or another person should lead state management under a new framework.¡±
Tetsuo Saito, co-chief of the newly formed Centrist Reform Alliance and former head of Komeito, told a news conference in the city of Hiroshima that his party will seek to permanently eliminate the consumption tax on food while considering ways to finance the measure.
He mentioned that the centrists¡¯ policy pledges feature the establishment of a new state-run fund to finance new policies, saying, ¡°The focus (of election debates) will be on funding.¡±
While stumping in Tokyo, JIP co-leader Fumitake Fujita said: ¡°If it¡¯s only the LDP (that leads the government), there are constraints and politics moves at a snail¡¯s pace. Our party is the engine that drives it forward.¡±
Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the opposition Democratic Party for the People, highlighted his party¡¯s achievements in a speech in Hiroshima, saying, ¡°The combination of a minority ruling party and a constructive opposition party has pushed politics forward.¡±
Taku Yamazoe, policy chief of the Japanese Communist Party, criticized the government at a campaign meeting in Sendai, stating, ¡°The administration is at an impasse on the economy and Japan-China relations, and shows no reflection on the issue of money and politics.¡±
Sohei Kamiya, head of opposition Sanseito, said in a speech in Yokohama: ¡°The policies the people expect from the prime minister align with Sanseito¡¯s platform. If Sanseito wins, these policies will move forward.¡±
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