Key Facts
• October 3, 2025: Ichiro Ozawa posts on X (formerly Twitter).
• Aso Taro, senior advisor of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), reportedly seeks early leadership election.
• Ozawa calls the move an ‘ugly power struggle’ and criticizes LDP’s lack of focus on citizens.
• Aso’s faction, the only remaining LDP faction, consists of 43 members.
• October 2, 2025: LDP holds a joint meeting but avoids addressing leadership accountability.
• Aso reportedly plans to announce his demand during a faction workshop.
• Ozawa highlights past failures of LDP leadership, including Shigeru Ishiba’s tenure.
Summary
Ichiro Ozawa, a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party, criticized Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) senior advisor Taro Aso’s reported push for an early leadership election. On October 3, 2025, Ozawa posted on X (formerly Twitter), describing the move as an ‘ugly power struggle’ driven by vested interests. He argued that the LDP has lost sight of the public’s needs and claimed that leadership changes, including Shigeru Ishiba’s tenure, have failed to bring meaningful reform. Aso’s faction, the last remaining within the LDP, currently has 43 members. This criticism follows an October 2 LDP meeting that avoided addressing leadership accountability despite branding its election review as a ‘rebuilding effort.’ Aso is expected to formally demand an early election during a faction workshop.
