LDP, New Komeito heads to meet Mon. to discuss alliance

Japan Policy & Politics, July 26, 1999

TOKYO, July 21 Kyodo

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the New Komeito party agreed Wednesday to hold a meeting Monday between Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and New Komeito leader Takenori Kanzaki to discuss the formation of a proposed new coalition government. The agreement was reached in a meeting held in the Diet building among Makoto Koga, head of the LDP's Diet affairs committee, New Komeito Secretary General Tetsuzo Fuyushiba and Shozo Kusakawa, head of the New Komeito's Diet affairs committee, party officials said. In the meeting, the New Komeito proposed holding the coalition talks between Obuchi, who heads the LDP, and Kanzaki after the No. 2 opposition party holds an extraordinary party convention on Saturday. Koga agreed to the proposal, the officials said. In the party convention, the New Komeito is expected to approve a plan to form a new coalition government with the LDP and its junior coalition partner, the Liberal Party (LP). LDP officials said Obuchi and Kanzaki are expected to present their parties' policy goals for the new coalition government when they meet Monday. Kanzaki told reporters in the Diet building that he plans to meet with LP leader Ichiro Ozawa before the party convention. Kanzaki will tell Ozawa his party's plans to begin policy discussions with the ruling bloc once its plan to join the current two-party coalition government is approved at the party meeting, according to New Komeito officials.