Masuzoe to Leave LDP to Form New Political Party

Tokyo, April 21 (Jiji Press)--Former health minister Yoichi Masuzoe will leave the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party as early as this week to launch a new political party, it was learned Wednesday.

Masuzoe, who remained the politician most favored to be Japan's next
prime minister in a recent Jiji Press poll, told reporters in Kawasaki,
south of Tokyo, that he is coordinating with different people and will lead
the new party.
The news follows a series of launches of new parties earlier this month
including one formed by former trade minister Takeo Hiranuma and former
Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano.
Masuzoe's new party has secured five lawmakers, the minimum required for
a legally recognized political party.
The five are Masuzoe, Tetsuro Yano, another LDP lawmaker, and three
members of the Japan Renaissance Party--Hideo Watanabe, Hiroyuki Arai and
Toshio Yamauchi, according to an informed source. They are members of the
House of Councilors, which has an election this summer.
Masuzoe said that three to five other lawmakers are expected to join
them.
There have been voices in the LDP calling for Masuzoe to be punished for
his outright criticism of the current party leadership. This may have
encouraged his departure from the LDP.
Masuzoe has asked the leadership, including President Sadakazu Tanigaki,
to resign as the LDP is struggling to regain popularity after losing power
in last summer's election for the House of Representatives, the powerful
lower chamber of Japan's parliament.