The vote is held among rank-and-file party members and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers. – Bloomberg
TOKYO: Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party set Sept 27 for its leadership election, with the winner all but certain to take over as premier from outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida due to the group’s dominance in parliament.
The vote is held among rank-and-file party members and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers. The general public won’t take part in the process and the candidate who ranks at the top of opinion surveys to serve as premier has more often than not failed to win the leadership race.
Whoever wins the race will have a three-year term as head of the LDP and the victor may soon call a general election to serve as a mandate for the new government. Kishida followed that path in 2021.
So far, the field has been wide open, with as many as 11 potential candidates. They range from former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba to Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, trying to be the first woman to become Japan’s premier, to presidential election newcomer Takayuki Kobayashi.
The number of candidates is likely to be winnowed in the coming days as the official campaigning period nears and each is expected to publish an official manifesto. – Bloomberg
