The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is implementing a new personnel system in its latest reshuffle, following the dissolution of most of its factions. The party headquarters has launched an online survey for all LDP members in the House of Representatives to determine their desired positions. The new party leadership will then select senior vice ministers, parliamentary secretaries, and committee chairpersons primarily from mid-ranking and junior members based on the survey results.
Previously, each faction within the party would inquire about their members’ preferred positions during personnel reshuffles. Quotas were often allocated to each faction for shared positions. However, as part of reforms implemented after a political funds scandal involving party factions, the LDP now prohibits faction involvement in personnel decisions. Instead, the responsibility lies with the party secretary general and other executives.
Despite this change, some party members have expressed surprise at the sudden survey deadline set for Monday noon. Shigeru Ishiba, who was elected as the new president of the LDP, faces challenges in building a team he can trust and seek advice from due to his limited personal connections within the party.
In 2015, Ishiba established his own “Ishiba faction” consisting of members knowledgeable about policy matters. However, his influence diminished after losing two consecutive LDP presidential elections in 2018 and 2020. The Ishiba faction was dissolved in 2021 along with another group led by Ishiba called Suigetsu-kai.
An aide close to Ishiba expressed concerns about reuniting former faction members and emphasized that their absence creates unease within their ranks. Additionally, there are worries regarding Ishiba’s relationship with Komeito – LDP’s junior coalition partner – as he had developed friendships with Komeito members during his tenure as secretary general but has had little interaction since one key member retired from politics in 2021.
these developments highlight both opportunities and challenges for Ishiba as he navigates through this reshuffle process while aiming to establish a cohesive team within an evolving political landscape.
