New Activities of Groups in LDP

Thursday has been the day for every faction in Liberal Democratic Party to hold weekly regular meeting. February 8 was the first Thursday since the biggest one, Abe faction, held the last regular meeting and declared dissolution on February 1. Some other factions followed Abe faction. The result was that some new moves appeared, aiming at the position of new prime minister. Those actions make no big difference from the activities of what they had called factions.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced in mid-January that he would dissolve his faction, appealing his responsibility as the president of LDP. Some factions of Abe, Nikai and Moriyama followed Kishida, deciding disbanding their factions one after another. While Aso faction continued its activities as a faction, Motegi faction declared that it would finish as a faction but continue to be a policy study group, after some core members left it. Their weekly meetings were not held on Thursday February 8, except Aso faction.

 

Former Defense Minister and former LDP Secretary General, Shigeru Ishiba, had a meeting on February 7 with his colleagues. Although Ishiba faction ended its activities as a faction and changed itself into a lawmakers’ group in 2021, Ishida has been listed mostly at the top for “next prime minister” in the polls. He enjoys high popularity for the replacement of Kishida in recent polls, having expressed serious concerns on LDP slush fund scandal.

 

Ishiba decided to deregister his group as a political organization, but continue as a policy group, expecting to remain his political basis for next LDP presidential election. Ishida ran for the president several times and failed. As he took a position opposing to the politics exercised by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Ishida has been unpopular to the lawmakers in LDP, which has long been ruled by Abe, making clear contrast from his popularity in the public.

 

Minister in charge of Economic Security, Sanae Takaichi, made a lecture to a group in LDP, “Association for Conservative Unity,” on Thursday. Although she has been independent since she left Abe faction in 2011, Takaichi enjoys supports from conservative lawmakers for the prime minister. She established a study group, titled “Power of Japan Study Group,” last November.

 

Former Minister for Internal Affairs, Seiko Noda, said that she would prepare for next presidential election in a TV program. While it is possible that next presidential election this fall will be held without collective support from factions, Noda told that she would welcome that type of election. LDP constitution requires every candidate of presidential election nominations from at least twenty LDP lawmakers. Those nominators will be work as a basis of political support, instead of factions.

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