LDP Wakayama Expels Newly Elected Upper House Member Yoshio Mochizuki
The Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) Wakayama Prefectural Federation announced on July 31 that it had expelled House of Councillors member Yoshio Mochizuki (53), who was elected in the recent Upper House election. This decision is a fallout from the nomination dispute with Nobuyasu Nikai (Toshihiro Nikai's third son), who ran as the LDP-endorsed candidate in the same constituency and lost, further deepening the "conservative split" within the LDP in Wakayama Prefecture. Mr. Mochizuki ran as an independent in the Upper House election, defeating the LDP-endorsed Nobuyasu Nikai to win his first term. Although Mr. Mochizuki was originally an LDP member, his resignation letter submitted prior to his candidacy was not accepted by the prefectural federation, meaning he ran the election campaign while technically still an LDP member. The prefectural federation explained the reason for his expulsion as his "failure to exert efforts for the sure victory of the endorsed can...