When the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) and Komeito announced their plan to form a new centrist party — called the Centrist Reform Alliance (CRA) — they described it as an offensive strategy to fight against the conservative ruling coalition.
“We want to win by cornering the current administration,” said CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda on Thursday. “The union of centrist forces is important for today’s Japan in fighting against the rightwing shift and chest-thumping talk in politics.”
But in reality, the two parties were on defense. They were struggling with declining support rates and shrinking voter base, and a political realignment in which the Japan Innovation Party (JIP) switched places with Komeito as a ruling coalition partner — and then a surprise announcement of a snap election caught them off guard.
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