Ex-PM Abe Becomes The Leader Of Japan’s Largest Faction
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday became head of the largest faction within Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party upon his return to the intraparty bloc following a nine-year absence.
Abe was officially named successor to Hiroyuki Hosoda, a former chief Cabinet secretary, by faction members during a meeting Thursday, a day after Hosoda was elected speaker of the House of Representatives.
The faction, founded in 1979 by the late former Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda, has about 90 lawmakers and has produced four premiers — Yoshiro Mori, Junichiro Koizumi, Abe, and Yasuo Fukuda — since 2000.
Abe left the faction, then led by the late former Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura, in 2012 before his second stint as prime minister, and had not joined an intraparty bloc even after stepping down from the post in September last year.
Hosoda resigned as faction leader on Tuesday and called for Abe to succeed him, and at a meeting, all of some 20 lawmakers attending voted in support of the proposal. Abe accepted the request on Wednesday.
Factions have played a major role in Japanese politics, including deciding who becomes LDP president, a role that usually brings with it the office of prime minister given the party has generally controlled the powerful lower house of parliament.
Meanwhile, Nobuteru Ishihara, a former LDP secretary-general who has served in several ministerial posts, is expected to announce his resignation as leader of the smallest intraparty faction after he failed to win a seat in the lower house election on Oct. 31.
The faction, now consisting of seven incumbent lawmakers, will seek a successor to Ishihara, who lost in his constituency in Tokyo and failed to secure a parliamentary seat through the proportional representation section.
Related coverage:
Japan gov’t leaves millions of “Abenomasks” unused, fanning criticism
From World News including: Ex-PM Abe becomes head of a largest faction in Japan’s ruling party
Sourced From: english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/11/f23b23d2fe0f-ex-pm-abe-becomes-head-of-largest-faction-in-japans-ruling-party.html
Published Date: 11/11/21
