Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has unveiled nine candidates who will run in a leadership race to replace Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Kishida, who took office in 2021, announced last month he is stepping down when his current three-year term as party leader and prime minister ends in September.
The nine candidates include two women.
Many of the candidates have stressed their ability to achieve reforms and tackle pressing issues such as Japan’s declining birthrate, stagnating incomes, gender inequality and security threats.
The record number of contenders named on Thursday, September 12, 2024, include former Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba, former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Digital Minister Taro Kono and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.
Also running are Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, party Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi and former Health Minister Katsunobu Kato.
The LDP holds a majority in parliament, which means the winner is guaranteed to become Japan’s next Premier.
Starting Thursday, the candidates will campaign around the country to appeal to party supporters and participate in joint speech and debate sessions in Tokyo.
The nine candidates and other LDP lawmakers will meet at the party headquarters in Tokyo for the vote on September 27 to decide on its next president and, since it holds a parliamentary majority, the next prime minister.
Each of the LDP’s 369 lawmakers will cast a vote in the first round, while an equal number of votes will be distributed among rank-and-file members polled earlier.
A candidate securing a simple majority in that poll becomes the party leader. If nobody secures a majority, a run-off follows between the two candidates with the most votes.
In the second round, each lawmaker again gets one vote, but the share of the rank and file drops to 47 votes, one for each of Japan’s prefectures.
Once a new LDP leader is elected, Japan’s parliament will gather, probably in early October, to pick a new Prime Minister, who is then expected to announce a new cabinet and appoint key LDP officials.
The new Prime Minister may call a snap general election to seek a national mandate.
Koizumi, Ishiba Lead Opinion Polls
Leading the opinion polls are former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and former Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Koizumi has promised to change an “old-fashioned LDP” and accelerate reforms to revitalise Japan, including by making the job market more flexible.
He said he would hold a snap election soon after taking office to seek the public’s mandate.
Koizumi supports a revision to a 19th-century civil code requiring married couples to choose one of their surnames, which has caused most women to adopt their husbands’ surnames. He wants to allow an option of keeping separate surnames which is supported by the country’s powerful business lobby.
He has said he will strengthen Japan’s alliance with the United States and expand a cooperation network with other like-minded nations to deter China’s growing influence.
He wants to meet his Chinese and South Korean counterparts soon after taking office and hold talks with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.
Ishiba, on the other hand, is running in the leadership race for a fifth time.
Despite his popularity among general voters, he has struggled to win enough support from fellow party lawmakers.
He has said this will be his “final battle.”
A security and defence expert, Ishiba has proposed an Asian version of the NATO military alliance.
He is a supporter of democracy in Taiwan, which China views as its own territory.
Ishiba promises to push for gender equality and measures to address low births and Japan’s declining population.
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