The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) has elected former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda as its new leader, sparking expectations that he will lead the party in the next general election. However, Noda faces numerous challenges, including forging election cooperation with other opposition parties and reconciling differences within his own party.
In his victory speech, Noda called for unity among party members and emphasized the need to take power from the ruling bloc. Many believe that Noda’s political skills and centrist stance will attract moderate conservative voters who are disillusioned with the Liberal Democratic Party.
Noda received strong support from party members who are scheduled to run as official candidates in future elections. He also cooperated with Ichiro Ozawa, a lower house member with whom he had clashed during his previous term as prime minister.
During his campaign, Noda expressed support for making education free of charge, a key policy proposed by another candidate. This helped him gain support from that candidate’s camp.
Although Noda won the leadership race, it was a close contest. Edano, a founder of the Democratic Party of Japan (the predecessor to CDPJ), closely followed him in votes from local assembly members and rank-and-file supporters.
Noda stressed the importance of creating a “no side” environment to manage any dissatisfaction among those who supported Edano. He is considering assigning major positions to Edano and promoting Yoshida to foster reconciliation within the party.
Moving forward, Noda’s political skills will be tested in building election cooperation among opposition parties. He aims to weaken the ruling coalition’s majority in parliament by maximizing seats held by opposition parties. The CDPJ plans to field 193 candidates in single-seat constituencies but may ask some candidates to withdraw if it helps prevent vote splitting among opposition parties.
While there is potential for cooperation with other opposition parties like the Democratic Party for the People and Japan Innovation Party (JIP), there are concerns about compatibility between CDPJ and JIP due to differing political ideologies.
The Japanese Communist Party opposes Noda’s conservative stance but may engage in dialogue with CDPJ. navigating these challenges will be crucial for Noda as he prepares for future elections.
