DPJ majority in upper house would not affect coalition: Ozawa

KOFU (Kyodo) Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa indicated Monday that his party will seek to maintain the coalition framework with two smaller parties even if it wins a simple majority in next year's upper house election.

"It cannot be said we have a truly stable government, and we know we have to secure a simple majority in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors," Ozawa said during a speech in Yamanashi Prefecture. "But that does not mean I'm denying (maintaining) the coalition with the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party."

"We have been working together and will continue working together in the future. There is no change to that," said Ozawa, the DPJ's strategist for the upper house election, which is expected to be held next summer.

The DPJ, headed by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, ousted the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party after winning 308 seats in the 480-seat lower house in the Aug. 30 election. But the party formed a coalition government with the SDP and PNP to ensure smooth passage of bills in the less powerful upper house, over which the DPJ does not have sole control.

Asked whether the DPJ will consider future cooperation with the New Komeito party, which was the LDP's junior coalition partner, Ozawa said his party "is not thinking about holding such discussions or pursuing cooperation (with New Komeito) at all."