 The historic election result, coming after years of scandals, resulted in the LDP losing the premiership for the first time since 1955.The ultimate cause of the LDP's was the defection of key politicians from the party and the consequent formation of two breakaway parties.The election was precipitated by the decision of 39 LDP members - 34 of them from the Hata-Ozawa faction of the LDP, four from the faction led by former Foreign Minister Michio Watanabe, and one from the faction led by former state minister Toshio Komoto - to vote against their own government in favor of a motion of no confidence which was put forward by the opposition in a plenary session on June 18.