DPJ tries compromise to woo coalition partners

Staff reportqq The Democratic Party of Japan floated a compromise Tuesday in hopes of reaching a broad agreement with two small opposition parties on forming a coalition government, but the talks ended in the evening with no firm resolution and another meeting was set for Wednesday.

The DPJ promised to clearly state plans to revise the planned reorganization of the U.S. forces in Japan.

Members of the Social Democratic Party, however, said they still need to hold an executive meeting Wednesday to consider the DPJ's policy proposals.

After the meeting, SDP Secretary General Yasumasa Shigeno said the biggest stumbling block involves the U.S. military bases in Okinawa, without elaborating.

DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada said the DPJ and SDP have yet to agree on national security policy and on creating a policy discussion panel inside the government.

He added he hopes the three parties can reach an agreement Wednesday but declined to provide any more details.

Earlier in the day, DPJ Policy Research Committee chief Masayuki Naoshima held talks with his counterparts Tomoko Abe of the SDP and Shozaburo Jimi of Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party).

Abe said the DPJ presented her party and Kokumin Shinto with a revised coalition deal in line with their request that it articulate a pledge to revise the U.S. military realignment plan.

The policy chiefs also basically agreed to include a call to revise the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement and to promote steps to combat global warming.

The DPJ hopes to reach a final agreement Wednesday on creating a coalition, with DPJ President Yukio Hatoyama set to meet with SDP leader Mizuho Fukushima and Kokumin Shinto chief Shizuka Kamei.

The DPJ, which won control of the Lower House in the Aug. 30 election, still needs to tie up with the two parties to retain control of the Upper House, which has no election slated until next summer.