Encouraging Party Reform in National Convention

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held annual national convention in Tokyo on March 9th. The president of LDP, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, encouraged his party members to make utmost effort to restore people’s confidence to the party, expecting further public support in the coming election of the Upper House this summer. However, Ishiba is leading a weak government without majority in the Lower House in the Diet, making implementation of his policies difficult. 

It was the first national convention since Ishiba became the 28th president of the LDP as the result of presidential election in September 2024. The main issues in the convention were how to salvage the party from the quagmire of slush fund scandal, which caused serious defeat in the general election of the House of Representatives last October, and reconstruct unification of the party for next Upper House election this summer.

 

In his speech to the party members, Ishiba emphasized the necessity of party reform. “I seriously realize that the people are not confident in politics. We need to be humble about the voices of the sovereign people,” said Ishiba. He hoped the LDP to be a party telling truth with braveness, listening to the voices from every organization in the party to discuss and decide policies, and modestly encouraging the government to work and handling the Diet with fairness.

 

The LDP decided to establish new guidelines for party reform. In the party agenda for 2025, which was approved in the convention, it was described that the party would review former guideline for party reform in 1989 and reorganize new guideline to build modern political infrastructure. The polices would include establishment of political ethics, new order for management of political funds, or reform of election system.

 

The greatest change for the LDP last year was disappearing of the factions in the party. All the factions except Aso faction have declared dissolution, facing public criticisms on clandestine manipulation of political funds. As the president not affiliated to any faction, Ishiba has been promoting removal of negative aspect of faction politics. However, there are some moves in the party to reconstruct policy groups, as seen in the history of LDP factions to be reproduced.

 

Ishiba also stressed policy agenda on which the party needs to focus. “It is local communities that support this country. We hope to be the party closest to the people,” said Ishiba in his speech. He also promised organizing security posture to protect the nationals. “We are surrounded by nuclear powers. Our security situation is much more severe than ever,” insisted Ishiba, referring to strengthening of alliance with the United States.

 

It depends on whether Ishiba can build a stable political basis to implement his policies. As a minority government in the Lower House, the crucial point for the administration is not pushing prime minister’s personal agenda, but achieving support for each policy from the opposition parties.

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