Feb 26 (Japan Times) - Four members of the Liberal Democratic Party faction led by party Vice President Taro Aso have quit the group, making it the third-largest faction in the ruling party.
The four who quit Friday are Tsutomu Sato, former chairman of the LDP General Council, Toshiko Abe, Hideki Niwa and Nobuhide Minorikawa. All are Lower House members.
Their departures reduced the number of Aso faction members to 49.
Sato, who is close to former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, is expected to explore an opportunity to form a new LDP group, to be possibly led by Suga.
On Friday, Sato, Niwa and Minorikawa visited Aso at his office in the building for Lower House members and submitted the four lawmakers’ letters of resignation. Abe was absent as she was attending a Diet meeting. Aso did not attempt to persuade them to remain in the faction, instead thanking them for their “contributions and support.”
Source: TBS NEWS
