Japan political leaders gear up for election

TOKYO - Japanese political party leaders on Saturday take to the street to promote their key policies, one day after the lower house of parliament was dissolved for Dec 16 general election.

"A historic battle has been launched," said Shinzo Abe, head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in a speech on a Kumamoto street, local media reported.

Shinzo Abe, former prime minister and leader of Japan's main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), attends a news conference at the LDP headquarters after the dissolution of the lower house was announced in Tokyo, in this Nov 16, 2012 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

"The LDP has polished our policies for three years to prepare for this day," said Abe, who stepped down as prime minister in 2007 because of illness.    

Meanwhile, Former Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara and Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto reached an agreement on Friday to merge their new nationalist parties for the upcoming general election.

Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of the New Komeito party, LDP's smaller opposition ally, called for a change of government in his speech in Tokyo.

Shozo Azuma, secretary general of the small opposition People's Life First party led by Ichiro Ozawa who broke away from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) along with over 50 other lawmakers, said it will try to attract voter support by pledging a phase-out of nuclear power, an end to the consumption tax hike and the country's centralized governance structure.

Current Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, however, blasted some small opposition parties which formed a "third force" to challenge the ruling DPJ and the main opposition LDP, pointing to differences in their economic policies.  

Noda told reporters after he visited a Tokyo high school that he has seen "an unprincipled alliance between political parties" for the sake of gaining more power.