▲ Yoshihide Suga-Fumio Kishida-Shigeru Ishiba
After Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who reigned as the ``first river,'' suddenly expressed his gratitude for chronic illness, faction politics in Japan is reviving.
As Prime Minister Abe expressed his gratitude and did not appoint a successor, the successor to the LDP governor is expected to be elected based on the result of the joint movement of the party factions.
The Japanese media evaluated on the 31st that Secretary of State Yoshihide Suga is a shaman, but has preempted a favorable notice in the election for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which is expected in the middle of next month.
In Japan, where the cabinet system is adopted, the governor of the ruling party is also the prime minister, who is determined by a vote of the House of Representatives.
The largest faction in the Liberal Democratic Party is Hosodapa (98 members, hereinafter the number of members of the House of Councilors and House of Representatives), to which Prime Minister Abe belongs.
Aso (54), led by Abe's political blindfold, Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and Finance Minister, is the second largest faction along with the Takeshita group (54) to which Foreign Minister Toshimit Motegi belongs.
Nikai Toshihiro, head of the Liberal Democratic Party's secretary, Nikai Pa (47), and Kishida, led by Kishida Fumio, Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Jeongjo, are tied for fourth.
Ishibapa, headed by former Liberal Democratic Mayor Shigeru Ishiba, who ranks first in the ‘Post Abe’ poll, is a minority faction with only 19 members of the House of Representatives and House of Representatives.
Japanese media predict that the post-Abe competition will be a three-way battle between Secretary Suga, Chairman Jeongjo Kishida, and former Mayor Ishiba.
Secretary of State Suga announced his intention to run for the LDP governor's election the day before, and secured Nikai's support.
In addition, Suga is a shaman, but since the inauguration of the second Abe regime in December 2012, he has acted as Secretary of State Lee In-Jain of the Prime Minister's residence, exerting influence on personnel, and forming an aide group.
It is known that there is a "Suga Group" of about 30 directors and middle-aged lawmakers in the party.
If you add 47 members of the Nikai faction, you have the most supportive members so far.
Chairman Jeongjo Kishida, who has 47 members of his faction, is busy moving to attract support from the Hosoda and Aso.
Hosodapa and Asofa are close to 40% of all LDP lawmakers, so they can win the LDP presidential election with the support of both factions.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, the previous day, Chairman Jeongjo Kishida met with the former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda, the chairman of the Hosoda faction, and Deputy Prime Minister Aso, the chairman of the Aso faction.
Chairman Jeongjo Kishida asked for support from Aso's Deputy Prime Minister, but Yomiuri said the Deputy Prime Minister Aso avoided making explicit comments.
Prime Minister Abe is the de facto head of the largest faction Hosoda faction.
Prime Minister Abe expressed his gratitude and did not nominate a successor, but the candidate he raises is likely to become the next prime minister.
Prime Minister Abe initially identified Chairman Jeongjo Kishida as his successor, but as he resigned during his tenure due to worsening chronic illness, observations that he will choose Secretary Suga as the successor to lead the state affairs for his term of office until September next year, mainly from the Japanese list. There is.
Former secretary Ishiba, who was working on a courtship operation for the support of the Nikaipa, faced a difficult situation as the Nikaipa decided on a policy to support Secretary Suga.
Former secretary Ishiba, who is popular among local party members, is calling for the election of the LDP governor through an official election with the votes of the National Assembly and the party members.
In principle, the elections for the LDP governor are held in a manner in which the members of the National Assembly (394) and party members (394) each exercise an equal number of votes.
However, in urgent cases, it can be replaced by an election for the General Assembly of both Houses (members of the House of Councils and members of the House of Representatives), in which only members of the National Assembly and the representatives of the association (141 members) of each prefectural and regional branch office.
The method of electing governor-elect is decided by the General Council of the Liberal Democratic Party on the first of the following month.
Following Prime Minister Abe, Lee In-Ja, secretary of the Liberal Democratic Party, told reporters on the same day, "Since local representatives also participate in the general meeting of both houses, we will hear the opinions of the party members."
The election of the governor in the form of a general meeting of both houses is disadvantageous to former secretary-general Ishiba, who is regarded as Prime Minister Abe's political rival.
Eventually, the likelihood that the person identified by Prime Minister Abe and Deputy Prime Minister Aso will be elected as governor-elect increases.
(Photo = Courtesy of Representative Kang Chang-il, Getty Image Korea, Yonhap News)