At a regular convention in Tokyo on Tuesday, the opposition Democratic Party for the People adopted its fiscal 2025 policy platform highlighting its pledge to increase take-home pay.
The convention came at a time when the party aims to boost morale further in the run-up to this summer's House of Councilors poll, following its spectacular performance in last year's general election.
The fiscal 2025 platform stresses that increasing people's take-home pay through measures including a revision of the minimum annual taxable income level from the current ¥1.03 million is the most important political challenge for the party.
The platform also includes the party's plan to actively field candidates in the Upper House election this summer.
In last October's House of Representatives election, the DPP increased its seats in the chamber to 28 from seven.
The fiscal 2025 platform says that the DPP achieved the stunning Lower House election result as the party actively campaigned for its policy of increasing take-home pay.
"Winning the Upper House election will greatly increase the possibility of realizing policies for the people, so let's win by all means," acting DPP head Motohisa Furukawa said at the convention.
The platform emphasizes that the party is set to work hard to realize reductions in gasoline prices and electricity bills as well as a hike in the threshold for taxable income.
The DPP is ready to team up with any party in the ruling and opposition camps if cooperation is possible based on a policy-oriented approach, the platform says, leaving open the possibility for the party to join hands with the ruling bloc of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito as needed.
The party also vowed to perform well in the upcoming triennial Upper House election in order to strengthen its power to realize policies.
The DPP aims to field candidates as much as possible in prefectural constituencies where only one seat is being contested, in addition to constituencies where two or more seats are available, according to the platform.
Some opposition parties are exploring the possibility of coordinating candidates in the Upper House election, believing that the results in 32 prefectural constituencies that have only one contested seat will affect the overall outcome of the election.
But the DPP platform stops short of mentioning election cooperation with other opposition parties.
An Upper House election is held every three years, with half of the chamber's seats contested each time. Each member of the Upper House serves a six-year term.
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