Koikeʼs new party to announce DP-linked candidates next week

September 30, 2017

TOKYO- Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike's Kibo no To (Party of Hope) will announce as early as mid-next week the names of Democratic Party members who will run in the upcoming House of Representatives election as official candidates of the new party, a key Kibo no To member said Saturday.

Kibo no To, launched by Koike earlier this week, plans to release early next week the first list of official candidates excluding DP members.

To announce the second list in the middle of the week, the new party will speed up screening of applicants from the DP, which has given up fielding its own candidates in the Oct. 22 election, Masaru Wakasa, a close aide to Koike, said in a television program.

Koike has said not all DP applicants can get her party's tickets, stressing the importance of policy conformity.

"Members of a political party need to be in agreement on the basics including views about national security and the constitution," Koike said.

Kibo no To will screen their views thoroughly, she said, referring to a list of DP members who intend to seek endorsement from the new party as official candidates in the Oct. 22 House of Representatives election.

The list was presented after the DP on Thursday approved a proposal made by its leader, Seiji Maehara, to merge with Kibo no To. On Thursday, the Lower House was dissolved for the snap election.

Maehara has already told DP members that Koike's party will not necessarily make wishes come true for all those who want to join her party. Jiji Press