Japan's main opposition calls for 'wealth distribution first' ahead of election
14/10/2021 05:44
TOKYO, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Japan's largest opposition, the
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), said on
Thursday it would try to close the country's income gap with
wealth redistribution if it were to take power in the Oct. 31
election.
It is a position echoed by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio
Kishida, who is also head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party
(LDP), blurring policy difference between the LDP and CDPJ ahead
of the lower house election.
"'Wage hikes and distribution once growth is achieved.' This
is what (former prime minister Shinzo) Abe was saying. But there
was no growth over the past eight, nine years and no wage
hikes," CDPJ chief Yukio Edano told reporters. "If we don't
distribute wealth first, no growth is achieved. This is a rather
clear difference (between the two parties)."
Asked about the CDPJ's chance of replacing the LDP as ruling
party in the election, Edano said it would be as good as U.S.
Major League baseball player Shohei Ohtani's batting average.
"We watch him play on TV, waiting excitedly for him getting
a hit or hitting a home run. I believe people can hold the same
sort of anticipation," he said.
The batting average of the Los Angeles Angels' Ohtani, who
has proved his ability to pitch and hit at an elite level this
year, stands at .257.
A voter survey conducted by public broadcaster NHK showed on
Monday that 6.1% of those polled supported the CDPJ, trailing
far behind the LDP's 41.2%.
(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
((kiyoshi.takenaka@thomsonreuters.com; +81 3 4563 2788;))