Former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has officially declared his candidacy for the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s (CDPJ) leadership election, scheduled for September 23. The campaign period will commence on September 7. Speaking to reporters in Narashino, Chiba Prefecture, Noda, 67, expressed his ambition to become prime minister once again and emphasized his responsibility in leading the CDPJ back to power.
When asked about cooperation with the Japanese Communist Party (JCP), Noda stated that while a relationship allowing dialogue with the JCP is necessary, they cannot be part of the same government. In regards to calls within his party for a reduction in the consumption tax rate, Noda expressed a cautious stance and emphasized maintaining the status quo rather than haphazardly cutting taxes.
Initially hesitant about running in the election, Noda ultimately decided to do so due to increasing expectations within the party stemming from his extensive political experience. Previously serving as finance minister during the administration led by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), which preceded CDPJ, Noda went on to serve as prime minister from September 2011 until December 2012.
During his tenure as prime minister, significant legislation was enacted for integrated reform of social security and tax systems. This included a two-stage increase in consumption tax up to 10%. The bills received support primarily from three parties: DPJ (then ruling), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Komeito.
However, following a crushing defeat in December 2012’s House of Representatives election that resulted in DPJ becoming an opposition party, protests against Noda emerged within his own party. Yukio Edano, former head of CDPJ at age 60 has already announced his candidacy for leadership election while current party head Kenta Izumi at age 50 has also expressed interest in running.