Democratic Party of Japan executives are considering suspending former leader Ichiro Ozawa's party membership, the lightest punishment under the DPJ's code of ethics, following his indictment this week over a funds scandal, they said Wednesday.
The DPJ leaders are not considering asking the former DPJ president to leave the party, mindful of widening an internal rift between the pro- and anti-Ozawa camps.
The DPJ is scheduled to hold a meeting of party executives Thursday to discuss how to deal with longtime power broker Ozawa, but it is unlikely they will reach a conclusion.