Conditions set for ‘following the path of former Prime Minister Abe’
Former Liberal Democratic Party General Secretary Ryu Shionoya, leader of the Abe faction, the largest faction of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, announced on the 19th that he would support Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the current president, in next year’s party presidential election.
According to Jiji News Agency and Sankei Shimbun, Chairman Shionoya responded to a reporter’s question at the party headquarters on this day whether he would support Prime Minister Kishida’s re-election in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election to be held next fall, and said, “Basically, yes.” He expressed his intention to support it as an Abe faction.
However, he said, “As the political situation changes in the future, there may come a time to review (the Abe faction’s position) again.”
Hiroshige Seko, secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party’s House of Councilors, who serves as the chairman of the Abe faction in the House of Councilors (the equivalent of the Senate), also said on this day, “It is the consensus of the faction that we want (Prime Minister Kishida) to be re-elected.”
However, Secretary General Seko of the House of Councilors emphasized that a condition for supporting re-election is that Prime Minister Kishida follows the path of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was the chairman of the Abe faction.
The Abe faction lost its chairman following the death of former Prime Minister Abe in July of last year. Since then, his position as chairman has remained vacant. Then, last August, the system was implemented with five influential members of the Abe faction under the ‘collective leadership’ of the standing committee. Former General Affairs Chairman Shionoya took on the role of moderator, whose role was to organize the meeting.
Afterwards, one person left the Abe faction, bringing the number of members to 99. Nevertheless, it is an overwhelmingly large faction within the Liberal Democratic Party.
The second faction is the Aso faction (55 members) led by Taro Aso, Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party, and the third faction is the Motegi faction (54 members) led by Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi.
The Kishida faction, led by Prime Minister Kishida, is the fourth faction (45 members). If the Abe faction supports the re-election of Prime Minister Kishida, who has a weak base within the party, his chances of re-election will jump immediately.
In Japan, which has a cabinet system, the president of the ruling party becomes prime minister. Prime Minister Kishida’s term as president runs until September next year.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.