LDP Presidential Candidates Jump into Election Fray, Staking Out Their Positions at Joint Press Conference

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:21 JST, September 13, 2024

The nine candidates running in the Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential race jumped into the election fray on Friday, expressing their views on various issues at a joint press conference.

The press conference at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo was attended by all nine candidates: economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, 63; former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, 49; Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, 63; former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, 43; Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, 71; former Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, 68; digital minister Taro Kono, 61; former LDP Secretary General Shigeru Ishiba, 67; and LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi, 68.

The candidates presented their views on measures for the political funds issue involving party factions, and whether to continue the policies of the administration of outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who also serves as LDP president.