Faced with soaring calls for more transparency in political funding amid an ongoing high-profile scandal, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has turned to discussions over a potential dissolution of intraparty factions.
However, after two meetings of an ad-hoc panel established by party leader and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier this month, fissures between lawmakers have emerged, and at the moment the outcome of the debate remains hard to predict.
The stakes are high — and it shows. On Tuesday, the party headquarters in Tokyo was teeming with reporters and camera crews trying to catch a glimpse of participants flocking into the room. The task force had extended its invitation to all party lawmakers, regardless of their affiliation, for open discussions on the matter.