LDP Considers Having Authority to Request Suspension of Activities of Factions or Dissolve Them

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:17 JST, January 22, 2024

The Liberal Democratic Party is considering the introduction of a system that would allow the party to suspend or dissolve a faction if it is found to have violated laws or regulations, according to several LDP sources. The LDP hopes to prevent misconduct and strengthen the party’s supervisory role in response to the scandal of the Political Funds Control Law violations by factions.

The details of the system were to be presented as part of a reform plan draft at the party’s political reform headquarters on Monday. A decision will be made after internal party discussions.

Under current party rules, the party cannot get involved in faction management since each faction is a political organization independent of the party. Under the reform plan, the authority of the party will be strengthened. According to the planned system, the party will have the authority to suspend faction activities for a certain period or dissolve it depending on the seriousness of any violations of laws or regulations.

The plan also calls for the strengthening factions audits by outside organizations in order to increase the transparency of political funds. The LDP plans to prohibit factions from holding political fund parties and from involving itself with the appointment of cabinet ministers and other officials. By conducting a series of reforms, the party aims to alleviate the public’s distrust of factions.