TOKYO —

The ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) on Monday formally decided to expel former party leader Ichiro Ozawa and 36 of his party supporters over their decision last week to quit the party.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was suspended from the party for three months.

DPJ Secretary General Azuma Koshiishi said the decision was based on recommendations from the DPJ’s ethics committee, Fuji TV reported.

Ozawa, 70, and 49 other lawmakers quit the party over their opposition to the bill to raise the consumption tax. Thirty-eight are members of the lower house, where a loss of 11 more seats would end the ruling party’s majority and could force Noda to call new elections.
 
Ozawa maintains the ruling party has “betrayed” the public by teaming up with the opposition to ram through the tax hike. He says the DPJ under Noda is no longer the same as the one that took power in 2009.

Ozawa met Hatoyama on Monday to discuss the formation of a new party which is expected to be announced on Wednesday. “We are looking to return to our initial principle of establishing a political system in which the people can have a choice,” Ozawa told reporters. He added that the new party will oppose the tax increase.
 
Ozawa is unpopular with many voters and is seen as an old-style, wheeling-and-dealing politician. However, he continues to have a loyal core of supporters, many of them younger politicians whose careers he helped launch.
 
He has repeatedly split and created new political groups since he bolted from the Liberal Democrats with 43 fellow members in 1993. He merged his faction with the Democratic Party in 2003.
 
But this time, only about half of the members of his faction are leaving the ruling party, which analysts said could indicate Ozawa’s waning influence.

Japan Today/AP

• 

  MeanRingo at Jul. 10, 2012 - 07:35AM JST

  I quit.

  No, you're fired!

• 

  CrazyJoe at Jul. 10, 2012 - 07:36AM JST

  "Rebel Without a Cause" or should it be "Rebel With a Cause"?

• 

  kurumazaka at Jul. 10, 2012 - 08:27AM JST

  Good to see Hatoyama included.

• 

  nigelboy at Jul. 10, 2012 - 08:31AM JST

  Don't know why Loopy wasn't expelled. He is still working with Ozawa to defeat the bill in the Upper House.

• 

  papigiulio at Jul. 10, 2012 - 08:38AM JST

  Ahhh a 3 month holiday, what nice.

• 

  FightingViking at Jul. 10, 2012 - 08:58AM JST

  Just wondering how one can be "expelled" when one has already given in their resignation?

• 

  Yubaru at Jul. 10, 2012 - 09:07AM JST

  The day he finally loses an election is the day I will celebrate his being gone from politics.

  Sadly however his little corner of Japan will continue to elect him.

• 

  yasukuni at Jul. 10, 2012 - 09:09AM JST

  "Ozawa is unpopular with many voters and is seen as an old-style, wheeling-and-dealing politician. However, he continues to have a loyal core of supporters, many of them younger politicians whose careers he helped launch."

  Yep, that about sums him up.

• 

  hereforever at Jul. 10, 2012 - 09:15AM JST

  Rebels?

• 

  alliswellinjapan at Jul. 10, 2012 - 09:23AM JST

  Maybe important to note that the suspension would normally have to be 6 months under the party's regulations but it was shortened to 3 as an effort to keep Hatoyama and his group on board. Ozawa's future depends on Hatoyama who will probably decide in his favor, and ultimately on Hashimoto who needs to decide whether or not to tie-up with him, which I consider to be unlikely unless Ozawa promises him the PMs position and he makes up with Ishihara who has long been critical of his old style politics.

• 

  Goals0 at Jul. 10, 2012 - 09:36AM JST

  A lot of these 'rebels' were chosen to be candidates by Ozawa when he was leader of the DPJ. They have to repay him the favor.

• 

  marcelito at Jul. 10, 2012 - 09:39AM JST

  Why wasn,t Loopy expelled ? you ask?....Because if he is and his group goes with him are DPJ looses its majority and ability to defend itself against a no-confidence motion. Simple as that.

• 

  Pukey2 at Jul. 10, 2012 - 09:43AM JST

  Just wondering how one can be "expelled" when one has already given in their resignation?

  Saving face?

• 

  zurcronium at Jul. 10, 2012 - 09:43AM JST

  At 70 does the old boy have it in him to start over once again? His DPJ creation has done a much better job in the last few years than the corrupt stuck in the 1970s LDP with their moronic leaders. The isolation of Ozawa is just what the power brokers of Japan wanted as Ozawa threatens them. But what they will get now is Hashimoto and his zombie students who will be much, much worse for the country. Stay tuned folks, you are watching Japan start to really crumble . . .

• 

  TSRnow at Jul. 10, 2012 - 09:57AM JST

  I wonder if he will still win the next election. His loyal supporters up north didn't like how he deserted them after last year's earthquake and tsunami...

• 

  smithinjapan at Jul. 10, 2012 - 11:34AM JST

  So they're expelling the people who quit?

• 

  Tom Webb at Jul. 10, 2012 - 11:51AM JST

  That's the way to go DPJ!! Ozawa and the young fools needed to be kicked out of party. You should also included Hatoyama in the boot. His campaign promise, which he knew that he couldn't bring about, is what is causing all the problems re Okinawa bases.

• 

  marcelito at Jul. 10, 2012 - 02:51PM JST

  Sorry Tom , but you are way off.

• 

  sf2k at Jul. 10, 2012 - 03:51PM JST

  Can't play well with others. Has trouble completing assignments. Blames others for shortcomings. Can't follow rules or instructions. Can't get direct recognition from voters.

• 

  danako at Jul. 10, 2012 - 03:53PM JST

  One mans rebel is another mans patriot.

• 

  kazetsukai at Jul. 10, 2012 - 05:22PM JST

  When the entire nation is at major crossroads internationally and nationally, political parties and party politics MUST be put aside for the national good. World economic crisis along with major military posturing by Iraq and China through N. Korea and real economic and military threat by China now facing Japan, it is not whose party is right or wrong and who should belong to one party or another. Ozawa has done nothing but use the rhetoric of "representing" the people, to further his own agenda which is not necessarily good for the country at this time.

  New party or not, Ozawa's group may not be the best for Japan. They only "divide" the country hrough politics when all should unite to come up with non-political longterm solutions from the economy and better energy policy to world stability.

  What "real" solutions has he or his group come up with for Japan?

• 

  kazetsukai at Jul. 10, 2012 - 05:58PM JST

  May be it is better to say... Ozawa and his group may do more harm then good for Japan by taking the issues and watering them down with political rhetoric of who or which group is just or justified, without actually coming up with specific proposals or suggestions to "improve" not only the policies but also the proceedings. All "posturing" which Ozawa is good at, should be eliminated regardless of political association. Instead each political group should conduct their own research using all the money they have and come up with specific, meaningful and implementable proposals for consideration and debate. That is something outsiders can't really do, because a lot of the data and information available is not accessible by the general public for analysis and evaluation.

• 

  Hikozaemon at Jul. 10, 2012 - 10:04PM JST

  Loved Hatoyama today saying it straight: "The DPJ has become nothing more than the Noda Faction of the LDP."

  Noda should resign for overseeing the split of his party - indeed, selling out party union in order to meet the demands of the LDP. Complete sellout.

• 

  serendipitous at Jul. 10, 2012 - 11:42PM JST

  The consumption tax is overdue for an increase and the Tohoku situation certainly helps to justify it in my mind (and the unprecedented earthquake and tsunami occurred after the DPJ had said they wouldn't raise it).....as long as some of the money generated nationwide from the increase actually reaches Tohoku!

• 

  alliswellinjapan at Jul. 11, 2012 - 01:43AM JST

  Meanwhile it seems that Hashimoto has surprisingly reversed his position, now offering words of praise to Noda for his deiligent efforts thusfar, puzzling everyone given his prior strong opposition to Noda's tax hike policy and plans to restart the nuclear power plants, even going as far as mentioning his desire to overthrow the government. Now he is instead saying that Noda should be successful in establishing a powerful government and regaining higher approval ratings through gathering people with similar policies and values from both the DPJ and LDP. Where his actual intent lies in providing such remarks remains unclear, as is the position he himself and his party is planning to take at the next election.

• 

  YuriOtani at Jul. 11, 2012 - 01:00PM JST

  smart so they join or form another party.