Mr. Kunio Hatoyama's departure shows disarray in the LDP
(From The Japan Times March 19 issue)

鳩山氏自民離党で谷垣執行部に痛打

With the approval rating of the Hatoyama administration having fallen below 40 percent, now is a good time for the opposition Liberal Democratic Party to launch into action and try to win back lost ground. But the party has so far failed to grab its chance. Its support rate has not rebounded significantly and not a few LDP members are dissatisfied with the party leadership, headed by former Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki.

Symbolic of the LDP's disarray is the departure of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's younger brother, Mr. Kunio Hatoyama, a former justice and internal affairs minister. On March 15, he announced that he was leaving the LDP to form a new party. He is the first Lower House member to leave the LDP since its fall from power in September. Five LDP Upper House members have already quit the party. Also on March 15, LDP Acting Secretary General Hiroyuki Sonoda, who had been an ally of Mr. Tanigaki, resigned from his post. Other prominent LDP figures, such as former Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe and former Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano, have expressed their displeasure with the party leadership.

Mr. Kunio Hatoyama said that by forming a new party, he plans to prevent the nation from "falling into ruin" under the administration of the Democratic Party of Japan, which he said has a "strong color of socialism."

He seems likely to try to band together with Mr. Masuzoe and Mr. Yosano, but it is unclear whether any other LDP lawmakers will get on board. The younger Hatoyama's vulnerability is that he has changed his party affiliation many times ― from the New Liberal Club to the LDP, Shinshinto, the DPJ and then back to the LDP. Another weakness is that he has not spelled out a basic policy agenda for his new party.

His departure adds to the headaches of the LDP chief, Mr. Tanigaki. It came just as Komeito, a former coalition partner of the LDP, is making advances to the DPJ. Many other organizations that used to support the LDP are abandoning the party. If he is to revitalize his party, Mr. Tanigaki must develop a policy platform that is both distinct from the DPJ's and attractive to voters.

鳩山内閣支持率低下のチャンスをつかんで巻き返しを図ることができない谷垣総裁ら自民党執行部に、多くの党員が不満を募らせている。新党結成を目指し離党した首相の弟、鳩山邦夫元総務相もその一人だ。野党転落後、参院議員は5人が自民党を離党、衆院議員では鳩山氏が初めてだ。鳩山氏は与謝野元財務相や舛添元厚労相との結成を目指すようだが、他の議員の加入は定かでない。鳩山氏の離党は過去5回、今回の新党の基本政策が明らかでないことも弱点だ。

自民党の連立相手だった公明党が民主党へ歩み寄り、自民党を支持してきた他の組織も離れ始めている。谷垣総裁は党の活性化に向け、民主党とは違った、有権者にアピールする政治要綱を構築する必要がある。