FOCUS: Opposition parties unite in bid to break LDP's grip on power

Opposition parties in Japan are banding together for the Oct. 31 general election in a bid to break the near-monopoly on power the Liberal Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, has held for the past six decades.The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party and two smaller groups have formed an alliance to coordinate campaign promises and field fewer candidates in order to avoid competing for voters.The House of Representatives, the more powerful lower chamber of parliament, has 465 seats, 305 of which are controlled by the LDP and its coalition …READ FULL ARTICLE