Lawmaker Ichiro Ozawa, a senior member of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, announced on Tuesday that he will be supporting former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in the upcoming party leadership election on September 23. Ozawa visited Noda’s office in Tokyo to express his support.
Ozawa leads a group of around 15 CDPJ lawmakers, and it is expected that many of them will also back Noda in the election. This comes as a significant development considering that when Noda was prime minister under the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan, Ozawa and several other lawmakers left the party due to their disagreement with the consumption tax hike legislation proposed by the Noda administration. This mass exodus weakened the administration and ultimately led to their loss of power to the Liberal Democratic Party in 2012.
In a statement to reporters, Ozawa explained his decision by saying, “I’ve decided to support [Noda] as I feel it’s important that we overcome our past differences and come together to fight for politics that serve the people.” It is worth noting that Ozawa and Noda have been meeting since July this year and have agreed on the need for support from middle-of-the-road conservatives in order to regain power in future elections.
Noda expressed gratitude for receiving support from such an influential veteran like Ozawa. Meanwhile, another group within CDPJ led by former Prime Minister Naoto Kan has decided against putting forward Executive Deputy President Chinami Nishimura as a candidate for the party election after she declined to run herself.
The upcoming CDPJ leadership election is gaining attention as it will determine who will lead one of Japan’s major political parties into future elections. With prominent figures like Ichiro Ozawa throwing their weight behind Yoshihiko Noda, it remains to be seen how this endorsement will impact both candidates’ chances at securing victory.