Japanese Media: LDP's Largest Faction 'Abe Faction' to Maintain Collective Leadership Without Successor for the Time Being

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The largest faction within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), "Seiwakai" (Abe faction), chaired by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, will be operated under a collective leadership system without a successor chairman for the time being, Japanese Kyodo News reported on the 14th.

According to the report, the collective leadership system will consist of seven members: Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Koichi Hagiuda, LDP Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Tsuyoshi Takagi, former Minister of Economic Revitalization Yasutoshi Nishimura, former LDP Secretary-General Ry? Shionoya, former LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Hakubun Shimomura, and House of Councillors member Hiroshige Seko.

The news agency stated, "The reason for leaving the chairman position vacant is that there is no suitable successor, and to maintain the faction's cohesion and avoid division and confusion, the name 'Abe faction' will also be retained."

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun also reported that there is a movement to maintain the Abe faction's cohesion through a de facto collective leadership system even after the death of former Prime Minister Abe.

The Abe faction has 93 affiliated Diet members, accounting for one-quarter of all LDP members. Former Prime Minister Abe, who was the head of this faction, was shot and killed during a campaign for the House of Councillors election on the 8th.

Before his death, former Prime Minister Abe had named former LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Shimomura, Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno, and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hagiuda as potential candidates for the next leader of the Abe faction, but none are regarded as Abe's replacement.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.