2024 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election

Last updated
2024 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election
Liberal Democratic Party of Japan logo.svg
←  2021 September 2024
Incumbent President

Fumio Kishida



The 2024Liberal Democratic Party presidential election will be held on September 2024 to elect the next president of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan for a 3-year term. The winner of the election will effectively become the Prime Minister of Japan and will lead the party in the next Japanese general election (if it takes place after the leadership election) and the next House of Councillors election in July 2025.

Contents

The leadership election will take place amidst the LDP's controversy over its affiliation with the Unification Church new religious movement following Shinzo Abe's assassination in 2022, an ongoing slush fund scandal involving the conservative Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai (Seiwakai) and Shisuikai factions, and other issues which has led to incumbent president and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida becoming the most unpopular Prime minister since the LDP's return to power in 2012. [1] [2] [3]

Background

Former Foreign minister Fumio Kishida was elected President of the LDP in 2021 after defeating opponent Taro Kono in a second round runoff, becoming the Prime Minister on 4 October 2021. [4]

Assassination of Shinzo Abe and ties to the Unification Church

Following Shinzo Abe's assassination in 2022, the Unification Church new religious movement was shown to have significant political influence in the LDP, and the popularity for the party, as well as Kishida's approval rating decreased. [5] Kishida reshuffled his cabinet on 10 August 2022 in an effort to remove cabinet ministers associated with the church from the government in order to regain public trust in his government. [5] [6]

Kishida reshuffled his cabinet once again on 13 September 2023 as his premiership continued to lose public support. The reshuffle was highlighted for its comparatively high proportion of women in official roles and the inclusion of members of opposing factions in high-ranking roles such as Taro Kono and Toshimitsu Motegi. [7]

Slush fund scandal

In November 2023, it was discovered that members of the conservative Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai (Seiwakai) and Shisuikai factions failed to report over JP¥600 million (US$4.06 million) in campaign funds, which they had instead placed in unlawful slush funds. This led to a scandal concerning the misuse of campaign funds by these members. [8] [9]

Amidst the escalating scandal, Kishida declared on 13 December 2023 that he was dismissing Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Junji Suzuki, and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Ichiro Miyashita. Hiroyuki Miyazawa, the deputy minister of defense, was also removed from office. All the expelled officials belonged to the Seiwakai faction. [10] [11] [12] The opposition Constitutional Democratic Party submitted a vote of no confidence against Matsuno and the entire Kishida's cabinet as a result of the scandal. [13] [14] Although both motions failed due to the LDP's majority in the National Diet, it was the closest no confidence vote in decades due to the rare unity between Japan's opposition parties in voting in favor of the vote. [15]

The first arrests took place on 7 January 2024, with former deputy minister of education Yoshitaki Ikeda and Kazuhiro Kakinuma, his assistant, being accused of concealing ¥48 million that the Seiwakai earned between 2018 and 2022. The National Police Agency justified their arrest by claiming that there was a chance of evidence destruction. Ikeda was expelled from the LDP after details of the arrests were made public. [16]

On 7 December 2023, Kishida announced his resignation as leader of the moderate Kōchikai faction, which he led since 2012 and announced he will leave the faction due to the scandal. A month later on 18 January 2024, Kishida announced that he was considering dissolving the faction and announced a war cabinet of the ongoing scandal. [17] [18]

Candidates

Publicly expressed interest

Potential candidates

Based on opinion polls [26] [27] [28] [29] [30]

Opinion polls

Fieldwork datePolling firmSample size[ vague ] Shigeru Ishiba Shinjirō Koizumi Taro Kono Sanae Takaichi Yoshihide Suga Yōko Kamikawa Fumio Kishida Seiko Noda Toshimitsu Motegi OthersNOT/
UD/NA
4–5 May 2024 JNN 1,01324.214.18.46.177.84.51.80.310.5 [lower-alpha 1] 15.3
13–14 Apr 2024 ANN 1,037211886595211 [lower-alpha 2] 24
22–24 Mar 2024 Yomiuri/NNN 1,020221585697113 [lower-alpha 3] 23 [lower-alpha 4]
16–17 Mar 2024 ANN 1,0312218965114211 [lower-alpha 5] 21
8–11 Mar 2024 Jiji Press 1,16018.612.16.44.75.75.92.30.90.42.6 [lower-alpha 6] 40.4
9–10 Mar 2024 Kyodo News 1,04322.215.47.98.3–10.84.91.80.93.3 [lower-alpha 7] 24.5
24–25 Feb 2024 ANN 1,0342317964112311 [lower-alpha 8] 34
17–18 Feb 2024 Mainichi 1,02425979–12121–34
16–18 Febr 2024 Yomiuri/NNN 1,0832117106484222 [lower-alpha 9] 12
26–28 Jan 2024 Nikkei/TV Tokyo 9692215107753226 [lower-alpha 10] 17
8–11 Dec 2023 Jiji Press 2,00015168.856.23.11.6––140.3
18–19 Nov 2023 Asahi 1,0861516138––7–11 [lower-alpha 11] 36
11–12 Nov 2023 Sankei Shimbun/FNN N/A18.21611.95.44.24.32.5––5.232.3
23–24 Sep 2023 ANN 1,01818151457–5333 [lower-alpha 12] 22
1–8 Jul 2023 Asahi 2,113151613510–102–3 [lower-alpha 13] 27
3–4 Dec 2022 JNN 1,22711–1957–6221 [lower-alpha 14] 39

Notes

  1. ↑ Another MP: 8.2%; Katsunobu Katō: 1.4%; Yoshimasa Hayashi: 0.9%
  2. ↑ Another MP: 1%
  3. ↑ Yūko Obuchi: 2%; Yoshimasa Hayashi: 1%
  4. ↑ None of these: 15%
  5. ↑ Another MP: 1%
  6. ↑ Yoshimasa Hayashi: 1.1%; Yūko Obuchi: 0.7%; Yasutoshi Nishimura: 0.4%; Kōichi Hagiuda: 0.3%; Katsunobu Katō: 0.1%
  7. ↑ Yoshimasa Hayashi: 0.5%; Yasutoshi Nishimura: 0.3%; Another MP: 2.5%
  8. ↑ Yasutoshi Nishimura: 1%
  9. ↑ Yūko Obuchi: 2%
  10. ↑ Yoshimasa Hayashi: 3%; Yūko Obuchi: 2%; Another MP: 1%
  11. ↑ Yoshimasa Hayashi: 1%
  12. ↑ Yasutoshi Nishimura: 2%; Another MP: 1%
  13. ↑ Yasutoshi Nishimura: 2%; Another MP: 1%
  14. ↑ Yoshimasa Hayashi: 1%

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikio Aoki</span> Japanese politician (1934–2023)

Mikio Aoki was a Japanese politician who served as the Chief Cabinet Secretary from 1999 to 2000, and was briefly acting prime minister following Keizō Obuchi's coma. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), he also served as the Chairman of the LDP in the House of Councillors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toshihiro Nikai</span> Japanese politician

Toshihiro Nikai is a Japanese politician for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the leader of the LDP Shisuikai faction, who served as the Secretary-General of the LDP from 2016 to 2021. He was previously the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. Nikai is currently serving in his eighth term in the Lower House representing Wakayama's Third District. He is widely considered to be "Japan's most pro-China lawmaker". He has also been criticized for misogynistic views expressed in the past, and caused controversy when he invited women to "look, but not talk" at key party meetings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nobuteru Ishihara</span> Japanese politician

Nobuteru Ishihara is a Japanese politician, who served as the Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party from 2010 to 2012. Previously, he was also served as the House of Representatives as representative for the Fourth District of Tokyo since 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fumio Kishida</span> Prime Minister of Japan since 2021

Fumio Kishida is a Japanese politician who has served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2021. A member of the House of Representatives, he previously served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2017 and as acting Minister of Defense in 2017. From 2017 to 2020, he also chaired the LDP Policy Research Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yasutoshi Nishimura</span> Japanese politician

Yasutoshi Nishimura is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry from August 2022 until December 2023. Nishimura previously served as Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy from 2019 to 2021. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2003, representing Hyogo's 9th district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoichi Miyazawa</span> Japanese politician

Yoichi Miyazawa is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party who served as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry from 2014 to 2015. He has served as a member of the House of Councillors since 2012 and was previously a House of Representatives from 2000 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minoru Kihara (politician)</span> Japanese politician

Minoru Kihara is a Japanese politician who has served as the Minister of Defense since September 2023. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party, he also serves in the House of Representatives, and was previously the Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election</span>

A leadership election was held on 20 September 2018 to elect the next president of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan for a new 3-year term. Incumbent president Shinzo Abe was running for re-election after a rule change in 2017 that allowed him to run for a third term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election</span> Liberal Democratic Party of Japan leadership election

The 2020 Liberal Democratic Party of Japan leadership election was triggered by Shinzo Abe's announcement on 28 August 2020 that he would resign as President of the Liberal Democratic Party and Prime Minister of Japan, citing a relapse of his colitis. Voting took place on 14 September 2020 to elect the next president of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, three days before the National Diet was scheduled to hold a session to elect the new Prime Minister. Initially scheduled to be held in September 2021, incumbent LDP president and the longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, suddenly resigned on 28 August 2020, citing recent health concerns, prompting an election to select the President to serve the rest of Abe's term.

There have been several opinion polls conducted for the next Japanese general election is scheduled to be held in Japan by 31 October 2025, as required by the constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election</span> Political party leadership elections in Japan

The 2021 Liberal Democratic Party leadership election was held on 29 September 2021 to elect the next President of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan and Prime Minister of Japan. Kishida was elected to lead the party, and assumed the premiership on 4 October. He led the party into the 2021 Japanese general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Kishida Cabinet</span> 100th Cabinet of Japan (2021)

The First Kishida Cabinet was the 100th Cabinet of Japan. Formed by Fumio Kishida on October 4, 2021, it had 21 members, including three women. Two ministers, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, retained their posts from the previous cabinet. The government is a coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito who controlled both the upper and lower houses of the National Diet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kōchikai</span> Political party faction in Japan

Kōchikai was a leading faction within Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), founded by bureaucrat-turned-politician Hayato Ikeda in 1957. The faction has produced five prime ministers, two LDP presidents, and a large number of cabinet officeholders. The faction was officially dissolved on January 23, 2024 after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to dissolve the faction in the aftermath of a political funds scandal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Kishida Cabinet</span> 101st Cabinet of Japan

The Second Kishida Cabinet is the 101st Cabinet of Japan and was formed in November 2021 by Fumio Kishida, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party and Prime Minister of Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asō Cabinet</span>

The Asō Cabinet governed Japan from 24 September 2008 to 16 September 2009 by Prime Minister Tarō Asō after his predecessor Yasuo Fukuda resigned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assassination of Shinzo Abe</span> 2022 murder in Nara, Japan

On 8 July 2022, Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan and a serving member of the Japanese House of Representatives, was shot to death while speaking at a political event outside Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara City, Nara Prefecture. Abe was delivering a campaign speech for a Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidate when he was fatally shot by 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami with an improvised firearm. Abe was transported by a medical helicopter to Nara Medical University Hospital in Kashihara, where he was pronounced dead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Kishida Cabinet (First Reshuffle)</span> Composition of the 101st Cabinet of Japan from 2022 to 2023

The Second Kishida Cabinet (First Reshuffle) was the 101st Cabinet of Japan and was formed by Fumio Kishida, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party and Prime Minister of Japan in August 2022. The cabinet governed Japan from 10 August 2022 to 13 September 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 visit by Fumio Kishida to Ukraine</span>

On 21 March 2023, Fumio Kishida, the Prime Minister of Japan, visited Ukraine. This was the first visit to Ukraine by the Prime Minister since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Beginning in November 2023, a scandal involving the misuse of campaign funds by members of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan's conservative Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai and Shisuikai factions became public after it was revealed the faction had failed to report over ¥600 million in campaign funds and stored them in illegal slush funds. The scandal has led to discussions regarding the future of the LDP and its political dominance in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Form of Capitalism</span> Economic policy of Fumio Kishida

New Form of Capitalism is an economic policy of Fumio Kishida, the 101st Prime Minister of Japan. It aims to break away from the neoliberal economy of the post-Koizumi Cabinet, and to create a 'virtuous circle of growth and distribution' and to 'pioneer a new post-COVID-19 society'.

References

  1. ↑ "Japan is tired of Prime Minister Kishida, a man who tries too hard". Australian Financial Review. 2023-12-13. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  2. ↑ Reidy, Gearoid (2023-11-07). "Kishida is so unpopular, he can't even give money away". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  3. ↑ "Kishida among most unpopular Japanese prime ministers ever, new polls show". South China Morning Post. 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  4. ↑ "Fumio Kishida elected by Diet as Japan's new prime minister | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  5. 1 2 "Japan PM purges Cabinet after support falls over church ties". AP News. 2022-08-11. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  6. ↑ "Inauguration of the Reshuffled Second Kishida Cabinet". Prime Minister's Office of Japan. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  7. ↑ Takahara, Kanako; Ninivaggi, Gabriele (2023-09-13). "Kishida replaces top diplomat and boosts women in Cabinet reshuffle". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  8. ↑ "Japan's leader grilled in parliament over widening fundraising scandal, link to Unification Church". AP News. 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  9. ↑ McCurry, Justin (2023-12-14). "Japan's ruling party engulfed by political fundraising scandal". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  10. ↑ "Japan: Corruption scandal threatens PM Kishida's government". 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  11. ↑ "Kishida vows to replace ministers on Thursday over fundraising scandal". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  12. ↑ "Japan: Four cabinet ministers quit over fundraising scandal". 2023-12-14. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  13. ↑ "No-confidence motion against Japan PM Kishida rejected". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  14. ↑ NEWS, KYODO. "Scandal-hit Japan spokesman faces no-confidence motion". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  15. ↑ "(Repeat) Japan's Kishida Cabinet Survives No-Confidence Motion - JIJI PRESS". jen.jiji.com. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  16. ↑ "Japanese prosecutors make their first arrest in the fundraising scandal sweeping the ruling party". AP News. 2024-01-07. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  17. ↑ "岸田派、政治団体を解散へ". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  18. ↑ 日本放送協会 (2024-01-18). ""岸田派解散を検討" 首相が表明 政治資金パーティー問題で | NHK". NHKニュース. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  19. ↑ "岸田首相「自分がやめて問題解決するならいつでもやめる」発言に「何なの？この開き直り」SNSに集まる批判（SmartFLASH）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  20. ↑ "岸田首相2024年の"納豆級"粘りどこまで 9月総裁選までに待ち受ける3つの関門 解散の行方は（FNNプライムオンライン）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  21. ↑ 日本放送協会 (2023-11-02). "自民 茂木幹事長 総裁選に岸田首相立候補なら立候補しない考え | NHK". NHKニュース. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  22. ↑ 日本放送協会. "高市経済安保相 党内で勉強会立ち上げ "総裁選へ足場固めか"". NHK政治マガジン (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  23. ↑ INC, SANKEI DIGITAL (2024-01-02). "石破氏、自民総裁選へ「自問自答」 出馬の可能性に含み". 産経ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  24. ↑ "石破氏「総裁選はフルスペック」 自身の立候補「答えるべきでない」：朝日新聞デジタル". 朝日新聞デジタル (in Japanese). 2024-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  25. ↑ "野田聖子氏、総裁選の出馬に意欲". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  26. ↑ "首相適任者、小泉氏16％で最多 石破・河野氏続く、岸田氏7位 時事世論調査（時事通信）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  27. ↑ "首相適任者、小泉氏１６％で最多 石破・河野氏続く、岸田氏７位—時事世論調査：時事ドットコム". 時事ドットコム (in Japanese). 15 December 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  28. ↑ "「首相にふさわしいのは」小泉氏が16%でトップ 朝日世論調査：朝日新聞デジタル". 朝日新聞デジタル (in Japanese). 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  29. ↑ 悠亮, 大島 (2023-12-11). "【産経・ＦＮＮ合同世論調査】次の首相は小泉氏・石破氏・河野氏の「小石河」が上位独占、上川陽子外相は５位". 産経ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  30. ↑ "世論調査｜報道ステーション｜テレビ朝日". www.tv-asahi.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-12-16.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.