Former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, a candidate for president of the main opposition party, announced policies that put him at odds with left-leaning elements in the party and its political allies.

At a news conference on Sept. 5 to announce his policies, Noda, 67, repeated plans often announced by leaders of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

They included vows to clean up politics in the wake of the scandals in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

In his policy collection titled “On the eve of regime change,” Noda said, “The ruling party’s smugness, fostered by its monopoly on power, has finally reached its limits.”

Noda declared he would break with “old politics in which slush funds are rife and hereditary politicians rule the roost.”

But Noda’s other policies have a different tone than those of Yukio Edano, another candidate in the CDP party election, scheduled for Sept. 23. The campaign will officially start on Sept. 7.

On diplomacy and security, Noda stressed the need for stability, saying, “We will follow our past policy based on the Japan-U.S. alliance.”

He also vowed to take a “resolute response to difficult issues with neighboring countries.” These problems include China’s maritime expansion and North Korea’s nuclear and missile development.

By contrast, Edano has emphasized “dialogue and diplomacy” concerning Japan’s security and its neighbors.

Noda also emphasized a “restoration of a thick middle class” in the Japanese economy, as well as continuity from the LDP administration in foreign affairs and national security.

He did say he would scrutinize the LDP’s sharp increase in defense spending, and that he would not raise taxes for such outlays as prime minister.

SHIFT TOWARD THE RIGHT

Noda intends to shift the CDP’s liberal image toward “middle-of-the-road conservatism” while appealing the CDP’s ability to take control of government.

As a first step, he hopes to turn the CDP into “a receptacle for moderate conservatives” who have left the LDP because of the latest political funding scandal.

Noda positioned the CDP as a “responsible governing party” that can win over “moderate conservative voters” in the next Lower House election.

“The LDP-led revision of the Political Fund Control Law, with its inadequate details, should never be used to draw the curtain on the political fund scandal,” he said.

Noda has said the CDP “needs to find a way to win the hearts and minds of conservative voters who originally supported the LDP but have lately been disappointed with the party.”

On Sept. 2, Noda appeared on a TV program and made a statement directed toward conservative elements.

He mentioned the possibility of continuing national security legislation adopted by the Shinzo Abe administration that gives Japan the right to exercise collective self-defense.

“It is not realistic to change it immediately,” Noda said.

Citing war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution, the CDP has long vowed to repeal Abe’s security legislation. Those promises have been amplified during national election campaigns when the CDP joins forces with the Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party.

Although the JCP objects to Noda’s position, the party has lost leverage on the political stage.

In the previous Lower House election in 2021, the CDP promoted electoral cooperation with the JCP and other parties.

However, the LDP and Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) ridiculed the opposition strategy, calling the CDP such names as “the Constitutional Communist Party of Japan” and “the election mutual aid association.”

The CDP lost seats in that election.

In the Tokyo gubernatorial election in July this year, Renho, a former Upper House member, ran as a candidate supported by the CDP and the JCP. She placed a disappointing third, well behind winner Yuriko Koike and runner-up Shinji Ishimaru, a newcomer with no party affiliation.

The election results prompted many CDP members and supporters to call for a limit on cooperation with the JCP.

“If we are seen as close to the JCP, we will not be able to increase the number of votes,” a CDP member close to Noda said. “If we don’t appeal to centrist conservatives, we won’t win the (general) election.”

Another mid-level CDP lawmaker said, “If we say we will abolish the security legislation now, we would not be trusted by the international community, particularly by the United States.”

Even if the LDP fails to win a single majority in the next Lower House election, the CDP would need to form a coalition with other parties to assume power.

Noda’s centrist conservative shift appears to reflect his expectations for cooperation with Nippon Ishin and the Democratic Party for the People, which have distanced themselves from the JCP.

The JCP has already railed against Noda and his plans.

At a news conference on Sept. 3, JCP chief Akira Koike said: “Abolishing the security legislation is the first and foremost issue for opposition parties to fight together. If this foundation is lost, the coalition will cease to exist.”

One person close to the JCP suggested that Noda’s stance could end up splitting the main opposition party, noting that some CDP members are from constituencies in urban areas where there are many JCP supporters.

“They are in a situation where they can only win with our support, so are they OK with this?” the JCP-connected person said.

Moreover, Noda’s shift may not necessarily bring about cooperation with Nippon Ishin, the second biggest opposition party, in securing enough combined seats in the Diet.

“It is not enough just to agree on a number,” Nobuyuki Baba, head of Nippon Ishin, said on a TV program on Aug. 28. “We will not cooperate in any way (with the CDP) in the election.”

(This article was compiled from reports by Nozomi Matsui and Kei Kobayashi.)