LDP Factions Revive

Factions in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) revive. While five major factions out of six had dissolved after the kickback scandal of political funds were revealed and the party received criticisms from voters in 2023 and 2024, they started having meetings without any declaration of reunion of the factions. Newcomers in February Lower House election formed a group supporting Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. As the president of the LDP, Takaichi has taken no action for restricting those activities.

It was revealed a number of LDP lawmakers had received political fund from factions as a reward of selling ticket of fundraising parties in 2023. They did not report that income to the government. The LDP found that 85 lawmakers had received the kickback fund and punished 39 members of former Abe faction, led by late Shinzo Abe, in April 2024. All the factions except one led by former prime minister Taro Aso was dissolved to restore transparency of the politics in the leading party.

 

In the history of the LDP, this kind of dissolution of factions has been repeated many times. Even though the party promised voters to get rid of unclear process of political activities in the factions, they have been reunited under the name of “meetings of policy study groups.” This time, the former factions restarted regular meetings in late February, weeks after the party achieved supermajority in the Lower House election earlier that month.

 

Former Motegi faction led by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Toshimitsu Motegi, had a meeting with 15 members, including two freshmen. Former prime minister Fumio Kishida convened a meeting of Kishida faction with 30 participants with 12 freshmen. Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, Yoshimasa Hayashi, who had been a member of Kishida faction, had another meeting. Aso faction get together with participation of 11 newcomers.

 

Members of former Abe faction also had a meeting with participation of lawmakers who had heavily been punished, including LDP Executive Acting Secretary General Koichi Hagiuda and Chairman of LDP Election Strategy Committee Yaosutoshi Nishimura. The leaders of former Abe faction who led the distribution of secret funds currently assigned some important position in the party under the leadership of Takaichi.

 

Takaichi is also forming her own political group resembling a faction. 62 lawmakers who was firstly elected to the House of Representatives in February established a group called Rokumei-kai in April, with common cause of supporting Takaichi. On the other hand, 40 LDP lawmakers in the Upper House formed new group called LDP House of Councillors Club, led by LDP Secretary General in the Upper House, Jun-ichi Ishii. Some LDP Upper House members take distance from hawkish position of Takaichi, namely in such an issue as constitutional amendment.

 

It is true that no decision can be made by a lawmaker. However, accumulating political power by forming groups has often caused untransparent politics managed by secret money. Although the LDP once swore for establishing clear political culture without factions, they restarted their activities looking at post-Takaichi politics. Voters who want transparent politics are mostly neglected.

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