Former Cabinet Minister Yoshimi Watanabe said Aug. 8 that he has launched a new political party called Your Party with three other former members of the Lower House and a current member of the Upper House.

Minna no To, which literally means "Party for Everyone," will field 13 candidates in the Aug. 30 Lower House election and endorse two new independent candidates.

Kenji Eda, one of the former Lower House members who joined Watanabe, said at a news conference it is unlikely Your Party will form an alliance with the Liberal Democratic Party after the election.

"We are eyeing cooperation with the Democratic Party of Japan," he said.

Watanabe, who was in charge of administrative reform, left the LDP in January after becoming disenchanted with Prime Minister Taro Aso's policies, saying they were out of step with people's needs.