The official campaign period for the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s leadership election began on Saturday, with four members announcing their candidacies. Former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, former party leader Yukio Edano, current leader Kenta Izumi, and House of Representatives member Harumi Yoshida registered their candidacies for the September 23 election to be held at the extraordinary party convention in Tokyo.
The election will take place after Izumi’s term expires. The campaign period is 17 days, longer than that of the Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential race. Campaign staff for each candidate submitted necessary documents to the party headquarters on Saturday morning.
The main points of contention in this race will be how the party should be managed in preparation for the next lower house election and views on election cooperation with other opposition parties. The four candidates held a press conference at the party headquarters in Tokyo to discuss their goals and visions.
Former Prime Minister Noda emphasized that this leadership election is crucial as it occurs on the eve of a change of government. He stressed that unity within the party is essential to gain power. Former party leader Edano expressed his desire to surpass discussions held by other parties and develop CDPJ into a new party for the people.
Current leader Izumi highlighted his achievements during his tenure as party leader, emphasizing his efforts to make CDPJ capable of taking over government responsibilities. Yoshida expressed her intention to formulate politics realistically without being bound by conventional styles.
Yoshida faced difficulties securing enough nominators but managed to make arrangements just before the candidate registration deadline. Lower house member Kenji Eda initially intended to run but withdrew from candidacy and decided to support Yoshida due to insufficient nominators.
In this leadership race, candidates will compete for a total of 740 points allocated among various groups such as Diet members, local government assembly members, and CDPJ candidates for future elections. If no candidate receives a majority in the first round of voting, a runoff between the top two candidates will occur.
During this campaign period, panel discussions featuring all candidates are scheduled at multiple locations nationwide as well as on TV and internet programs.
