TOKYO- Four Japanese opposition parties agreed Thursday to join forces in order to block the passage of an anticonspiracy bill aimed at criminalizing the planning and preparation to commit acts of terrorism and other serious offenses.

The agreement was reached at a meeting of leaders of the four parties--the Democratic Party, the Japanese Communist Party, the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party--as part of their strategy for the rest of the ongoing regular session of the Diet, Japan's parliament, now set to end on June 18.

The opposition leaders affirmed that the parties will consider options including submitting a no-confidence motion against the cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

They also agreed to oppose a revision to Article 9 of the country's constitution under the Abe administration. Abe is apparently aiming to clarify the rationale for the existence of the Self-Defense Forces through the revision of the war-renouncing constitutional provision.

"We'll fight together to kill the anticonspiracy bill," Renho, chief of the DP, the top opposition party, said at the opposition leaders' meeting.

The government is managing Diet affairs in a high-handed way, she told reporters later, adding that the Abe cabinet "deserves to face a no-confidence motion." (Jiji Press)