Testing if Taro Aso will be the Speaker of the House: "Is Takahashi trying to cut ties with Aso?!"

Regarding the appointment of the Speaker of the House, Prime Minister Asahi Hayato has already tested Taro Aso, the Deputy President, and invited him to take on the position of Speaker.

Journalists analyze that Aso's faction has added 18 new members, bringing its total to about 60 people. In short, the number is more than the Nakamichi faction. It was against this backdrop that Aso was recommended as Speaker.

By convention, once appointed as Speaker, one must leave their faction and also resign from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). After all, the Speaker is the head of the entire House of Representatives, so it is necessary to leave the party, and naturally, the faction leader cannot hold the position anymore.

The official reason given is that in order to amend the Imperial Household Law in the future, the Speaker needs to coordinate opinions among various political parties, and hopes that Mr. Aso will take the lead in maintaining the current male succession system.

However, within the LDP, it is generally believed that after winning so many seats in this election, Asahi actually wants Aso to step back. Although he won the previous presidential election thanks to Aso's support, now Asahi is finally trying to cut ties with Aso.

During the election period, Aso's long-time rival, Takeda Ryota, ran in Fukuoka, but Asahi immediately went to support him. This has made the outside world even more convinced that Asahi is deliberately distancing herself from Aso.

Former Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, and former Tokyo Governor Senda Yoichi said that Fukuoka is my hometown, and the political figures there have complex relationships. I think Asahi really wants to put Aso aside, because it's hard to do work in many places, so she would rather cut ties if possible.

Analysts believe that especially on the issue of consumption tax, Aso, who has long served as Minister of Finance, definitely opposes tax cuts. In such issues, placing him in an important position like Speaker can, in a way, make it easier to set him aside. However, there has never been a precedent of a prime minister becoming Speaker, and some voices within the LDP have raised concerns about whether it is appropriate to go this far.

Why did 18 new members join Aso's faction this time?

For the new members, they almost have no choice but to either join Aso's faction or become independent members without any faction. Joining a faction allows them to communicate easily with senior members. Although recent restrictions on political funds and activities have limited some aspects, in terms of personnel matters, senior members can help by saying, "I'll go talk to Mr. Asahi to help you get this new position." From the perspective of personnel and information exchange, factions are very reliable. Many new members are completely out of their depth and have no choice but to concentrate on joining Aso's faction, leading to Aso's faction being dominant.

If you have no support, no one will speak up for you. New members are worried about not having anyone to look after them when they first enter the Diet, which ironically becomes the reason why they flock to join Aso's faction.

Reasons for Aso's Refusal to Become Speaker

Aso's faction is concerned that Aso leaving will reduce the cohesion of the faction, so Aso refused the invitation. The matter was eventually calmed down when another member of Aso's faction, Mori Hidenori, became the Speaker. The result was that Aso ultimately refused the proposal.

Japanese Prime Minister Nomination Election

Original: toutiao.com/article/1858004528351242/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.