Former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Aso Taro will be top advisors to the parliamentary league on creating new capitalism, sources revealed on June 10. The league is being launched on June 11 by former LDP Policy Research Council Chair Kishida Fumio. Adding in the league’s co-founder Amari Akira, chair of the LDP Research Commission on the Tax System, the three LDP heavyweights, known as the “3As” from initials of their surnames, will be joining the new parliamentary league, a phenomenon that has been observed more often recently.
Kishida maintains his support for the Suga administration, while attempting to position himself as a contender for the LDP presidency by building stronger ties with the 3As.
“I want to think about distribution in addition to economic growth. The fruits of economic growth should be enjoyed by many,” said Kishida at the June 10 meeting of the Kishida faction (Kochikai), stressing the importance of launching the new Diet members’ group.
Kishida’s new parliamentary league will discuss reducing economic disparities through income distribution to the middle class, which was included in his LDP election platform last fall. Although Kishida has said to those around him that the goal of the new league is to “further develop and fine-tune policy,” launching a new group seems to be aimed at strengthening Kishida’s ties with other factions ahead of the next presidential election.
Kishida was especially keen to include Abe and Aso, whose backing he seeks in the election. To invite the two to join, Kishida made two personal visits to each. Reportedly, Aso readily approved of Kishida’s forming the league, saying, “That’s a great idea!”
Inside the LDP, many new parliamentary leagues have been launched recently by powerful senior members, including the 3As’ parliamentary league on semiconductor strategy promotion and Secretary-General Nikai Toshihiro’s parliamentary league on a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is scheduled to be launched on June 15.
Observers are paying attention to whether Kishida can make his presence felt in a party now filled with new groups.
