Tokyo, September 10: Japan’s new ruling party will form a coalition government with two smaller groups, despite differences on foreign policy and the presence of US Marines on Okinawa, party officials said on Wednesday.
The agreement paves the way for Democratic Party of Japan leader Yukio Hatoyama to put together a new Cabinet.
Hatoyama is almost certain to become Japan’s next prime minister in a parliament vote scheduled for 16th September.
The left-of-centre Democrats won a sweeping victory in elections on 30th August for the 480-seat lower house of parliament, giving them a simple majority.
But they need the coalition with the smaller parties to control the less powerful upper house.
Hatoyama’s party will align with the Social Democratic Party and People’s New Party to replace the outgoing Liberal Democrats, a pro-big business and staunchly pro-US party that had governed the country for more than 50 years.
Democratic Party of Japan spokesman Toshiaki Oikawa said the secretary-general of each party attended talks today at which they largely worked out their differences on defence issues and foreign policy.
The parties have disparate views on what to do about an agreement backed by the outgoing administration to close the US Marine airfield in the crowded city of Futenma and find a new location for it elsewhere on the southern island of Okinawa -an issue that could complicate the new government’s relations with Washington.
–Agencies