Jul 14 (Nikkei) - Nearly a week after an assassin took the life of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the ruling party faction he led has yet to zero in on a possible successor.
The largest faction in the Liberal Democratic Party, known as Seiwa-kai, is scrambling to maintain unity. But Abe's murder left the group with little time to select and groom a suitable successor, putting it in a precarious position.
The group boasts 93 conservative-leaning upper and lower house LDP lawmakers, with many calling for bigger military spending and revising the nation's pacifist charter. After producing the longest-serving prime minister, the group yields enormous clout in the party.
Senior members met Monday at a Tokyo hotel to discuss the next step but could only muster a vague pledge to maintain solidarity.
In 2017, Abe floated the idea of having four core leaders in the faction, modeled after a similar setup his father, Shintaro Abe, had when he led the faction decades ago. Given the lack of a clear leader, the faction could opt for this option.
Right now, Hakubun Shimomura and Ryu Shionoya, both former education ministers, are serving as acting chairs of the faction. They have supported Abe's family through the ordeal by meeting with mourners at his private residence. ...continue reading
