Toshimitsu Motegi, the secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has officially declared his candidacy for the party’s presidency. Speaking at a press conference, Motegi expressed his desire to form an administration that sets clear goals, builds effective teams, and delivers tangible results. The official campaign is scheduled to begin on September 12th, with voting and vote counting taking place on September 27th. As part of his bid, Motegi announced that he will transfer his authority as LDP secretary general to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida starting from Thursday.
Addressing the ongoing funds scandal within Japanese politics, Motegi stated his intention to abolish political activity funds provided to lawmakers by their parties. Additionally, he emphasized his commitment to promoting policies without raising taxes. Instead, he plans to focus on growth strategies in order to increase tax revenue and secure fiscal resources.
Motegi brings extensive experience in politics to his candidacy. He has been elected ten times as a member of the House of Representatives from Tochigi Constituency No. 5 and has held various important positions including foreign minister, economy and trade minister, and LDP policy research council chairperson.
Motegi joins four other LDP lawmakers who have already announced their bids for the party presidency: Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi; Takayuki Kobayashi, former minister in charge of economic security; former LDP Secretary General Shigeru Ishiba; and digital minister Taro Kono.
The race for the LDP presidency is expected to be highly competitive as candidates vie for leadership within Japan’s ruling party.