Kobayashi Plans to Announce Candidacy for LDP Presidential Election; Kono Gets Green Light from Aso

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:05 JST, August 17, 2024

Former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi plans as early as Monday to announce his candidacy for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election scheduled for September, according to sources.

Meanwhile, digital minister Taro Kono, 61, told LDP Vice President Taro Aso on Friday that he intends to run in the election during a meeting with him in Tokyo. Aso reportedly gave the green light.

Kobayashi’s intention to run for the presidency was confirmed by House of Representatives members who support his candidacy at a meeting held in the National Diet Building on Friday.

Kobayashi, 49, is almost certain to win recommendations from 20 LDP lawmakers. Given his low profile, he is believed to be broadening support for him by getting his name out at an early stage, the sources said.

He is a member of the LDP faction led by former Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai but does not receive support from it. Nikai has announced his intention to dissolve the faction.

His campaign is characterized by a cross-section of middle-ranking and young LDP members from various factions working to support his candidacy. They include former General Council Chairman Tatsuo Fukuda of the Abe faction and Keitaro Ono, former state minister of the Cabinet Office, who does not belong to any faction. Kobayashi and Fukuda won their first lower house seat at the same time.

After gaining the support of Aso, Kono is now expected to win 20 recommendations from the 54-member Aso faction.

With some veterans of the Aso faction currently distancing themselves from Kono, Aso has urged him to try to strengthen his support base within the faction.

Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, 63, has informed the LDP leadership of his intention to run for the presidency.

Hayashi has a key role in the faction formerly headed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has announced his intention to dissolve the faction. He made the decision to run after Kishida announced that he would not run for reelection.

Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, 71, also a member of the Kishida faction, has already started working to secure 20 recommendations for the candidacy.

Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, 68, expressed interest in running in the election during a BS11 television program, saying, “I want to make concrete moves toward the presidential election.” As for securing 20 recommendations, he said, “I’m just getting started.”

Kato belongs to the Motegi faction, which now operates as a policy group. Toshimitsu Motegi, 68, who leads the faction also intends to be a candidate.