TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Sunday (October 8) her new party aims to offer voters a “middle of the fairway” choice, seeking to differentiate her group from ruling, conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and smaller, left-leaning opposition parties.
Koike’s Party of Hope has emerged as a formidable challenge to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) at the Oct. 22 election, promising to freeze a planned 2019 sales tax hike and consider a new tax on companies’ retained earnings.
During the election debate, joined by seven other party leaders including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Koike said party’s policies aim to bring a new idea such as basic income and will be closer to consumers. But she declined to reveal who would lead a government should her party, formed only about two weeks ago by her supporters and some opposition lawmakers, be in a position to form one. On the other hand, Abe emphasized the achievement of his ‘Abenomics’ policies.
The campaign for the Oct. 22 election kicks off formally on Oct. 10.
