Liberal Party (1998)
Not to be confused with the Liberal Party (1945) that merged with the Democratic Party in 1995 to form the Liberal Democratic Party.
Also not to be confused with the Liberal Party (2016), another movement led by Ozawa, which joined the Democratic Party for the People in 2019.
The Liberal Party (自由党) was a political party in Japan that operated between 1998 and 2003.
Contents
Platform
History
The 1995 leadership contest of the New Frontier Party led to bitter factionalism. Ozawa won, but minor factions immediately began to splinter. By 1998 the party was stripped down to just Ozawa's own faction, leading him to formally dissolve the party and form a new one. Ozawa was the first and only leader of the new Liberal Party.
In January 1999, Ozawa capitalized on Obuchi's difficult position as leader of a minority government to create a LDP-led coalition government.
In October 1999 Komeito joined the coalition. Aware of his waning marginal influence, Ozawa led the Liberal Party back into opposition in December. The wider party membership disapproved of the maneuvering, and the breakaway New Conservative Party (保守新党) formed with the members choosing to remain in the coalition government. That party would merge into the LDP in 2003.
Ahead of the 2003 general elections, the Liberal Party merged into the DPJ.