Abe, who left office in 2020, was still a lower house lawmaker and leader of the biggest faction in the ruling party, making him one of the country's most influential politicians.
Abe was still a major player in the ruling LDP party. He was not an ex-politician in the same way as US ex-Presidents.
25 posted on 07/08/2022 6:15:24 AM PDT by FarCenter