Why did you become prime minister in a non-faction? September 24, 15:31
Yoshihide Suga became the 99th Prime Minister.
Suga is virtually the first LDP member to have a non-faction member elected prime minister.
Behind the faction that led Kan, who had denied faction politics, to victory was the existence of a faction that was hiding under the political situation called "Abe Ichigo."
(Yuya Sekiguchi, Yuko Oikawa, Tadashi Goto)
The beginning is a Chinese restaurant
June 17, when the ordinary Diet session closed.
At a high-class Chinese restaurant in Minato-ku, Tokyo, four people, Secretary of State Suga, Secretary-General of the LDP, Toshihiro Nikai, Acting Secretary-General Motoo Hayashi, and Chairman of the Diet Countermeasures Committee, Hiroshi Moriyama, appeared.
The main purpose of the meeting was to provide comfort to the Diet, but the topic covered "post-Abe."
When the meal was over, the second floor turned the water to Kan.
"Prime Minister Abe is the best to choose four, but if he decides to quit in the third term, Mr. Suga, you should do it next."
Suga did not respond to this word, but kept silent. He said he was listening.
"I think it's not a mess," Nikai
took.
The surroundings point out that the second floor became aware of Kan as a leading candidate for "post-Abe" on this day.
To support this, Suga and Nikai will continue to meet frequently thereafter.
At least, we have dinner together at least once a month in June, July, and August.
Both serve as secretaries of parliamentarians, and are from local parliamentarians.
The two people, who have much in common, have long been known for their close relationships, but their approach has become strongly impressed by the residents of Nagatacho.
Resignation announcement, and upstairs move
And August 28th.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who had been whispering anxiety about his physical condition, announced his resignation.
The longest stable government in history suddenly came to an end, and the LDP entered the political affairs for the first time in about eight years.
On that day, Fumio Kishida, the chairman of the political investigation, and Shigeru Ishiba, the former secretary-general, showed their willingness to run for the presidential election, and lawmakers who were regarded as "post-Abe" made a series of remarks.
However, Suga kept silence.
Immediately after Abe's resignation was announced, expectations for Kan were rising from within the party, but he did not share his thoughts on the presidential election.
On the other hand, the movement on the second floor was quick.
The following day, on the 29th, we had a meeting with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tadamori Oshima.
We had lunch at a hotel in Tokyo.
After that, he gathered at a hotel different from Moriyama and Hayashi and continued to analyze the situation inside the party.
Four-party talks that decided the flow
In such a situation, things move a lot.
Moriyama's cell phone rang.
The other party of the incoming call was Kan.
"Can I see the secretary-general tonight?"
The message from Suga was transmitted to Hayashi and upstairs, and a meeting of four people was set immediately.
He is the same member as the Chinese restaurant in June.
8 pm.
The place is the reception room on the 2nd floor of the Akasaka Senator Dormitory.
We asked Hayashi, the attendee, about the story at that time.
"Mr. Suga called me through Mr. Moriyama," I want to meet the secretary-general, "and immediately replied," It's OK. "I didn't explain the reason, but it's a pinch, right? But only at the time. I felt "I wonder if I was hungry."
The exchange took place while drinking tea from a PET bottle that was in the refrigerator.
According to Hayashi, the following words were exchanged.
Kan, "but I think I try to run for the upcoming presidential election, thank you. A day, because the set-up of the presidential election is determined, then to want to run for statement"
upstairs "firmly hang in there.'Ll cheer"
talks, Approximately 20 minutes.
It was the moment that determined the flow of the birth of the "Kan administration".
In an interview with NHK immediately after taking office as president, Suga said about the meeting as follows.
"It feels like you pushed your back. I think I have to do it. I can't escape." When
I talked about the second floor that pushed my back, I smiled.
"Is the second floor secretary general says me lovingly terrible of me. In the same councilors born, because I was a Member of Parliament of the secretary both of them, I had a sense of intimacy in that sense,"
one from the meeting of 4 people 30 days after dawn.
The second floor immediately discussed the response with the faction executives.
At this point, the Nikai faction was almost solidified with the support of Kan, and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura suggested to reporters that "air is being born."
The "air" launched by the Nikai faction spread rapidly within the party, and expectations for Kan increased at an accelerating rate.
The following day, on the 31st, a group of non-faction lawmakers requested Kan to run for office.
And Nikai officially decided to support Kan.
It was the earliest decision of a faction within the party.
The aim of the second floor is
What is the aim of the second floor deciding to support Suga ahead of other factions?
Hayashi says:
"There will always be elections for the House of Representatives in the past year. Since he is the secretary-general who has led the elections for the House of Representatives three times in the past, of course, only the secretary-general Nikai will be in charge of spearheading in that sense."
Even in the political situation called "Abe's strongest", Abe was also looking at the second floor, which showed his veteran political skills.
I want to maintain the post of secretary-general, which is the key to party management, and show influence even if the administration changes.
The speculation of the second class was oozing out.
Aso worried
How did other faction executives see the quick movements upstairs?
Abe's ally, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso was worried.
Jun Matsumoto, an aide, described Aso's heart after Abe announced his resignation as follows.
"I think I was at a loss. Who is the best person to respond to this emergency? I think I was wondering who would be responsible for it."
Aso had a person in mind when thinking about "post-Abe" for some time.
This is Fumio Kishida, the chairman of the political investigation.
In early August, Aso and Kishida met at a French restaurant in Tokyo.
According to Matsumoto, Aso was still bleeding Kishida's reputation at this time.
"I was also present, but the atmosphere was very bright and it seemed that we were having a lot of discussions. I think Mr. Aso was very appreciative of Mr. Kishida."
The shadow of the second floor is also here
However, on the 28th when Abe announced his resignation, he did not support Kishida at the meeting of Aso sect executives.
Kishida, who is in the same faction's genealogy (Hiroikekai), was expected to be a "future prime minister candidate", but he was also worried.
One of the triggers was cash benefits for the new corona measures.
Kishida, who coordinated the ruling party as a policymaker, compiled cash benefits for households with reduced income up to 300,000 yen and brought them to a cabinet decision.
However, when Nikai disagreed with this, the Komeito flickered withdrawal from the coalition government and demanded a uniform payment of 100,000 yen.
In the end, it was an unprecedented situation to change the supplementary budget bill once decided by the Cabinet.
After seeing this confusion, Aso was suspicious of Kishida's vessel as the "emergency Chancellor."
Avalanche Depression Faction
The other is Kishida's behavior.
At the Kishida faction meeting held at a hotel in Tokyo on the 28th, Makoto Koga, who once led the faction, was seen.
Aso, who has been competing with Koga for many years as a member of the same Fukuoka prefecture election, saw this as a problem.
If Kishida could run for the presidential election, he should ask for help first, but Aso was uncomfortable with talking to Koga first.
30 days two days later.
Kishida visited Aso's office and asked for cooperation in the presidential election.
Aso, on the other hand, faced strict conditions.
"If Prime Minister Abe supports me, I can support myself. I want you to confirm the Prime Minister's intentions."
While expectations for Suga were already rising within the party, this condition presented by Aso is not a low hurdle for Kishida.
Moreover, Aso has been exchanging personal reviews with Abe and Kishida for some time, and the results were expected to some extent.
Nevertheless, on the 31st of the following day, Kishida visited the Prime Minister's Office in response to Aso's words and visited Abe.
But no support could be attached.
With Aso's support, Kishida's strategy, which has been trying to find a way to succeed Prime Minister Abe, has collapsed.
On this day, Aso instructed the faction executives to put together in support of Kan.
In response to this, executives of Abe's faction, the Hosoda faction, which is the largest in the party, decided to support Kan.
The Takeshita faction and the Ishihara faction continued.
Of the seven factions in the party, five were united in support of Kan, and if the members of the faction were added, it was already more than two-thirds of the total.
Only five days after Abe's resignation was announced, many decided before the announcement of the presidential election.
We are the "mainstream"
An unusual presidential election in which the non-faction Suga won a landslide victory in the form of being pushed by the main factions.
In fact, Suga is the first LDP president to be selected from non-factions.
Why did each faction hit an avalanche to support Kan?
In the days when the House of Representatives election was a middle-class election district system, each faction competed to carry the territory to the prime minister.
However, with the introduction of the small constituency system, authority is concentrated on the president and executive department.
It has been pointed out that one of the reasons for the faction's existence is how to secure posts for ministers and party officers.
For each faction, being a mainstream faction within the party is becoming more important.
Even though the "Abe 1st strength" continued, if it was regarded as the mainstream within the party, the so-called ministerial waiting group was allowed to enter the cabinet and was treated.
It is also true that they are regarded as non-mainstream and there is a growing desire to avoid being treated coldly by human resources.
Sure enough, the executives of each faction who supported Suga naturally expected to get a post.
On the other hand, Suga reiterated that "human resources are in the right place," and emphasized the idea of appointing personnel who are willing to reform.
How was the result?
Is Officer Personnel Award for Distinguished Service?
In the personnel affairs of the party's executive department, Nikai will continue to cast the secretary-general, as the Nikai group aimed.
One person is appointed from each of the five factions that support Suga.
It became a team that shows consideration for factions.
At the inaugural press conference of the party officers, the reporters asked, "Isn't it the personnel of the Distinguished Service Award?"
Faction-balanced ministerial personnel
One ministerial personnel.
The number of ministers is almost the same for each faction, and the Kishida faction and the Ishiba faction, who fought for the presidential election, also appointed them to reconcile the party.
It can be said that the personnel are "faction-balanced".
(Click here for details)
However, some factions have already heard complaints.
Within the Hosoda faction, which is the largest faction, "I couldn't get the secretary-general or the secretary-general even though I was the largest faction
."
Furthermore, the Kishida faction and the Ishibashi faction have pointed out that the re-entry of former ministers has "increased dissatisfaction with the waiting group for entering the cabinet."
The faction's curse
As long as he is a non-faction, Kan's internal party base cannot be said to be strong.
Therefore, in order for Suga to realize the policy, it is indispensable to obtain the cooperation of the faction.
Looking at the personnel affairs this time, it can be seen that he was enthusiastic about giving consideration to each faction.
However, if that consideration is passed, there will be a dilemma that the policy cannot proceed as expected.
The "non-faction" prime minister will be asked whether he can proceed with the administration without being bound by the faction's curse.
How will the political situation, which was said to be "Abe's strongest" and "Political high party low", change with the birth of the Kan administration?
Will the former "faction politics" come back to life?
The rise and fall of power continues.
(Honorific title omitted in the text)
Yuya Sekiguchi, a
political
editor
, joined the
station in
2010.
To the political department via the Fukushima station and Yokohama station.
In charge of the second class of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Yuko Oikawa, a
political
editor
, joined the
station in
2007.
After working at the Kanazawa station, Sapporo station, and TV news department, he became a political department.
In charge of the Liberal Democratic Party Ishihara faction and Moriyama Kuni vs. chairman.
Tadashi Goto, a
political
editor
, joined in 2010.
After working at Matsue Bureau and Ministry of Economic Affairs, he became a political department.
Currently in charge of the Liberal Democratic Party Aso faction.