DPJ mulls suspending ex-leader Ozawa's party membership

TOKYO, Feb. 2 Kyodo - Democratic Party of Japan executives are considering suspending former leader Ichiro Ozawa's membership of the ruling party after he was indicted earlier this week over a funds scandal, they said Wednesday.
Instead of asking Ozawa to leave the DPJ, the party leadership is exploring the possibility of giving him the lightest punishment under its code of ethics, reflecting concern about widening a rift within the party.
The DPJ is scheduled to hold a meeting of party executives on Thursday to discuss how to deal with Ozawa, a longtime power broker in Japanese politics.
But it is unlikely that they will reach any conclusion on the matter at the meeting.
Even with the suspension, Ozawa can continue to serve as a DPJ lawmaker and will not be prevented from carrying out political activities. But there will be many restrictions, such as not being able to become an official DPJ candidate in the event of an election.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan, the current DPJ leader, has to make a difficult decision as Ozawa's allies in the party are opposed to him receiving any form of punishment.
Ozawa, who has denied any wrongdoing, was indicted Monday over alleged false reporting by his political fund management body. The heavyweight said he wants to continue as a DPJ lawmaker and prove his innocence in court.
Ozawa has claimed that his indictment is different from a normal case, pointing out that it was not carried out by prosecutors but under Japan's new prosecution inquest system, participated in by ordinary citizens.
Ozawa was the first lawmaker to have become subject to the mandatory indictment, which came after a judicial panel of citizens determined twice that he should be prosecuted as his involvement in the misreporting is strongly suspected.
Prosecutors had dropped a case against Ozawa, while indicting his three former secretaries on charges of falsely reporting his political funds.