Japan’s Ruling Party to Choose New Leader Amid Election Setbacks

TDT | Manama

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Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) announced Tuesday that it will elect a new leader on October 4, following the resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba after major election losses.

The winner of the party leadership vote could become Japan’s next prime minister, as the LDP remains the largest party in parliament while the opposition is divided. The party has dominated Japanese politics for most of the period since its founding in 1955.

Ichiro Aisawa, head of the LDP election committee, said a formal notice will be issued on September 22, and vote counting will follow a 12-day campaign period. The schedule is expected to be formally approved on Wednesday.

Toshimitsu Motegi, a former top diplomat nicknamed the “Trump Whisperer,” was the first to declare his candidacy on Monday. Other potential candidates include Sanae Takaichi, a veteran female nationalist and former economic security minister, and Shinjiro Koizumi, the current agriculture minister and son of a former prime minister.

The new leader will face major challenges, including Japan’s rapidly aging population, high national debt, and a slowing economy with rising inflation.

The election will allow ordinary LDP members to vote. Shunichi Suzuki, the party’s general affairs chief, stressed that the party must carefully consider public opinion, especially amid growing outrage over recent corruption scandals involving lawmakers.