Ex-PM Noda Delivers Parliamentary Speech for Abe

Tokyo, Oct. 25 (Jiji Press)--Former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda delivered a memorial speech honoring the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a plenary meeting of the House of Representatives on Tuesday. "I wanted to engage in a fierce battle of words and souls with you (Abe) again on this floor," said Noda, Abe's immediate predecessor as the country's leader and currently a member of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. In July, Abe was shot to death while delivering a stump speech ahead of a House of Councillors election. "How disappointing it must have been to be attacked from behind while looking forward and speaking about the future of Japan with a microphone in hand," Noda said of the assassination of Abe. "I cannot help but feel outraged." He called on lawmakers to "continue having the courage to stand on the streets" without giving into violence and terrorism. Noda recalled a parliamentary debate he had with Abe in November 2012, when Abe's Liberal Democratic Party was out of power, saying that Abe was a "formidable opponent." During the debate, Noda declared his willingness to dissolve the Lower House for a snap election. The following month, Noda's ruling party lost a Lower House election to the LDP, and Abe returned to power. "The man whom I want to have a rematch with will no longer appear on this floor," Noda lamented. "Mr. Abe, you can't go without giving me a chance to claim a victory from you." Just after the 2012 election, Noda and Abe had talks in a waiting room before a ceremony to appoint the new prime minister at the Imperial Palace, Noda revealed. According to Noda, Abe gave encouragement to Noda at the time, saying that he took five years to make a comeback as prime minister and that Noda would also have such an opportunity one day. Noda also revealed his secret meeting with Abe at the prime minister's official residence in January 2017 to discuss the abdication of then Emperor Akihito. It is customary for a senior figure of an opposition party to deliver a memorial speech for deceased former prime ministers. The speech by Noda was the first since one by former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama of the Social Democratic Party for former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi in 2000. The LDP leadership had initially planned to have former LDP Secretary General Akira Amari deliver the speech, but the plan was scrapped after objections from both ruling and opposition lawmakers. On Oct. 7, the LDP asked Noda via the CDP to deliver the parliamentary speech for Abe, and Noda accepted the offer. END