Japan's Opposition CDP Gears Up for Power Grab in Summer Election, Proposes Budget Revision

Japan's Opposition Party CDP Aims to Seize Power in Upcoming Election

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), the country's main opposition party, held its convention on February 24th in Tokyo. The party outlined a strategic plan to prevent the ruling coalition from winning the majority in the upcoming summer Upper House election.

The CDP has been trying to assert its role as a "responsible opposition party" by leading initiatives like ministry-specific budget scrutiny. However, it has struggled to make its presence felt compared to other opposition parties like Nippon Ishin and the Democratic Party for the People (DPP).

At the convention, CDP chief Yoshihiko Noda emphasized the importance of opposition cooperation and highlighted the party's role in uniting opposition parties to achieve policies such as banning political donations by businesses and introducing the option of separate surnames for married couples.

The CDP also submitted a proposal to the ruling coalition for a 3.8 trillion yen revision of the draft budget. This revision aims to reallocate funds by cutting budget reserves and contingency reserves. The CDP plans to use the savings to finance initiatives such as free school lunches, free high school education, reduced gasoline prices, and a freeze on the increase in the upper limit of out-of-pocket payments for high-cost medical treatments.

The proposal raises questions about the sustainability of using reserve cuts as a long-term funding source and the potential adverse effects of some policies. However, the CDP's efforts to integrate front-line perspectives into its policy efforts could help foster public trust.