Official campaigning for the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election kicked off Friday with four party members filing their candidacies.
In the election to choose the successor to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is the current president of the ruling party, the four candidates are Taro Kono, 58, minister in charge of administrative and regulatory reform; Fumio Kishida, 64, a former LDP Policy Research Council chairperson; Sanae Takaichi, 60, a former internal affairs and communications minister; and LDP Executive Acting Secretary General Seiko Noda, 61.
Major points of contention in the election are expected to include how to revive the economy, which has been damaged by the novel coronavirus pandemic, and energy measures, including a future policy on nuclear power.
The LDP started accepting candidacies for the presidential race at its headquarters from 10 a.m. on Friday. Kono, Kishida, Takaichi and Noda, in that order, submitted their candidacies on the day. The upcoming LDP presidential election includes female candidates for the first time since Yuriko Koike, who is currently the Tokyo governor, ran in the 2008 race. This is also the first LDP leadership race in which more than one woman stands. The four candidates attended a speech session and gave a joint press conference on the same day.
In the election, the candidates will vie for 766 votes in total -- the 383 held by LDP Diet members and the same number of ballots based on votes cast by other party members and members of affiliated groups. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round of voting, the top two contestants will face off in the second round.
Should a runoff occur, there will be 430 votes up for grabs: the 383 from LDP lawmakers and one each from the party's 47 prefectural chapters. The voting and ballot counting are scheduled for Sept. 29.
The term for a new LDP president will be three years, running until September 2024. During an extraordinary Diet session to be convened on Oct. 4, the new party leader is expected to be appointed prime minister and form a new cabinet. Six of the seven LDP factions intend to effectively allow their members to vote at their own discretion, making the leadership race unusual and unpredictable.
On Friday morning, Kono said at an online kickoff ceremony, "I aim to become a leader of this country to advance Japan by uniting the power of all of you."
Kishida told reporters in Tokyo, "Through policy debate, I hope to restore public trust in the LDP and make a firm appeal for reforming the party."
Takaichi also made her pledges at her kickoff ceremony, saying: "I'll protect Japan and pave the way for the future. I'll make Japan a country that is beautiful and strong and grows."
Noda, who declared her candidacy only on Thursday, said at a similar ceremony, "I want to work hard to make people happy to be born in this country and also want to convey the message that everyone deserves to live."
The candidates will participate in a public debate to be held by the Japan National Press Club on Saturday, and another debate, organized by the LDP's Youth and Women's Affairs divisions, on Monday. Due to the pandemic, the candidates will not canvass in regional areas in an official party capacity, and policy debate sessions in a town-hall format will be held online.
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