Former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Koichi Kato took the helm of Finance Minister Kiichi Miyazawa's LDP faction Tuesday, after 15 members departed in dissent.

The faction now has 70 lawmakers, after 15 House of Representatives members who support former Deputy Prime Minister Yohei Kono quit the group Monday. Kono, 61, left the faction in 1994.

Miyazawa, 79, handed over the leadership to Kato, 59, at an extraordinary general faction meeting at its office. "Because everyone agrees no one but Kato would be my successor, I would like all the members to endorse him as the new head of the faction," Miyazawa said. The members applauded in approval.