Some in LDP were positive about formation of CRA, says Noda

Some members of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party responded positively when they were told of a plan by two opposition parties to form the Centrist Reform Alliance, former CRA co-leader Yoshihiko Noda has revealed in an interview with Jiji Press.

During the interview, held on Tuesday, Noda detailed how the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) and Komeito agreed to form the CRA ahead of the Feb. 8 House of Representatives election, in which the new party suffered a crushing defeat.

Last autumn, when Komeito left the LDP-led ruling coalition, the CDP and Komeito began discussing the idea of forming a new party, according to Noda, who was CDP leader at the time.