CDP, Komeito Leaders Visit Disaster-Stricken Noto Peninsula

Wajima/Suzu, Ishikawa Pref., Oct. 5 (Jiji Press)--The leaders of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, the junior member of the ruling bloc, separately visited on Saturday the Noto Peninsula, which was heavily damaged by torrential rain in late September, nearly nine months after a powerful earthquake struck the region Jan. 1.

They demonstrated their parties' efforts to promote the reconstruction of areas afflicted by the disasters and work on disaster reduction measures ahead of the Oct. 27 general election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament.

Visiting the city of Wajima on the peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, CDP head Yoshihiko Noda looked around inundated makeshift housing units built for people affected by the New Year's Day quake and other afflicted districts.

"I felt firsthand how serious the damage is from the double disasters," Noda told reporters.

While Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office Tuesday, plans to use the government's reserve funds as resources for more reconstruction aid to affected areas in the peninsula, Noda, former prime minister, called for the enactment of a fiscal 2024 supplementary budget before the general election. "To promote the rebuilding of business operations and livelihoods, compiling an extra budget (for fiscal 2024) is a minimum necessary measure," he said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]