Retirement of Old Faction Leader

Former Secretary general of Liberal Democratic Party, Toshihiro Nikai, announced that he would not run for next election of House of Representatives. Having his private secretary been determined as guilty in the slush fund scandal and the accounting manager of his faction been indicted, Nikai decided to retire as a lawmaker, taking responsibility of those illegal affairs. Nikai’s decision may affect how the leaders of former Abe faction will response to the demands of punishment on them. 

Tokyo Public Prosecutors Office indicted in January a secretary of Nikai with the charge of not recording ¥35 million of political fund received from Nikai faction, and the accounting manager of Nikai faction who did not record 380 million of political fund received from or distributed to the faction members. A summary court in Tokyo found Nikai’s secretary guilty in February.

 

As a lawmaker and the head of his faction, Nikai apologized about the scandal and dissolved the faction in January. However, he has not appeared to the Deliberative Committee on Political Affairs in House of Representatives, where the leaders of Abe faction took question and explained about the scandal. It was reported that Nikai received ¥5 billion of fund from LDP during he was at the post of LDP Secretary General. The opposition parties demanded Nikai to explain all about the fund he handled.

 

In the press conference for announcing his retirement, Nikai apologized about inviting distrust on politics. “It is my responsibility as the supervisor that the accounting manager of my faction and my secretary were indicted,” said Nikai. His political mentor was former Premier, Kakuei Tanaka. Nikai quoted Tanaka’s words, “Politics cannot be made by power of one person,” indicating justification of factions.

 

Asked about whether he would retire with the reason of his old age, Nikai got mad at the reporter. “You will come of my age, bakayaro (you, stupid),” said Nikai at the end of the press conference. “Bakayaro” is highly insulting word in Japanese. Former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida caused dissolution of House of Representatives in 1953, when he said “bakayaro” to the question of an opposition lawmaker in the Diet.

 

It is supposed that Nikai has closely watch the timing of his announcement. While Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hoped the leaders of Abe faction to take full responsibility of the scandal, they have been reluctant to take action for further explanation. LDP is now focusing on the punishment for those leaders. Nikai’s retirement presented one example of taking responsibility for the scandal, paving the way to suspend party endorsement for them.

 

However, the responsibility on Nikai is as same as Kishida’s. The accounting manager of Kishida faction was indicted just the same as Nikai faction’s accounting manager. There is a possibility of rising an argument that Kishida has to take full responsibility as the head of his faction, as Nikai did. Kishida is still walking a tightrope.

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