The Liberal Democratic Party factions are trying to enlist first-time upper-house lawmakers as the ordinary Diet session moves into its second week. The size of a faction is directly linked to the amount of influence it wields within the party, giving rise to fierce inter-faction competition.
When he introduced rookie lawmaker Sachiko Yamamoto to the camp, the first meeting of the camp, led by LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi, burst into applause Thursday, as he said, Today, I have good news that Motegi has recruited Yamamoto, whose constituency is in Mie Prefecture, immediately after she was elected to the House of Councillors in July. She officially joined Jan. 16.
On Thursday, upper house member Megumi Hirose, whose constituency is Iwate Prefecture, and House of Representatives member Takakazu Seto from the Shikoku proportional representation bloc attended a regular meeting of the Aso faction. Seto moved up Jan. 17 to replace a resigned lawmaker who stepped down.
Five new lawmakers have joined the Motegi faction after the July upper house election, while six have signed on to Aso's group. The two groups represent the second-largest faction in the LDP, with 54 members each.
The size of their fold is a factor in the ability of a faction leader to spread information and make their presence felt within the party. If a faction is large, more of its members are likely to be appointed to cabinet positions.
With an LDP presidential election coming next year, factions are keen to bolster their numbers. Some new lawmakers don't want to join coteries immediately, because they prefer to listen to the post-election opinions of local supporters, which is why there are a number of lawmakers joining factions now. Before committing to a group of people, it's important to know. Some people, however, join immediately after being elected.
It is important to expand our influence in normal times, Motegi said. We want to keep recruiting new lawmakers. The parties of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Toshihiro Nikai - the party's joint fourth-largest, with 43 members each, are locked in a power struggle. Since July s election, each group has only managed to enroll two new members, fewer than the number of lawmakers who have hitched their wagon to the leading cliques.
After the election, Kishida s faction focused its efforts on recruiting freshman lawmakers to the LDP's presidential faction, but this approach did not swell its ranks as much as was hoped.
Compared to other factions, I don't think our leader has enough push, a mid-level faction member said. Our camp is not surprised by the fact that it is referred to as a group of aristocrats. Faction leader Kishida did not attend the group's regular meeting on Thursday. The former prime minister Yoshihide Suga complained bitterly about Kishida's dual role as prime minister and faction leader.
An LDP party member said that Kishida's absence may have been linked to negative views within the party.