Koizumi Enjoys Most Lawmaker Support in LDP Race

Jiji Press

12:36 JST, September 23, 2024

Tokyo (Jiji Press) — Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has support from the biggest number of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers in the race to pick the successor to LDP President Fumio Kishida, Japan’s prime minister, a Jiji Press survey found.

Ahead of Friday’s voting, Koizumi, 43, was backed by over 50 LDP lawmakers, according to the survey of LDP lawmakers and others conducted by Sunday. Meanwhile, key rival candidates Sanae Takaichi, 63, economic security minister, and Shigeru Ishiba, 67, former LDP secretary-general, each had around 30 supporters.

Based on interviews with officials in the camps of all nine candidates and executives of LDP local organizations, Jiji Press also found that Takaichi, Koizumi and Ishiba are likely to win many votes from rank-and-file party members and party supporters.

Considering this and the expected votes from lawmakers, they are regarded as the top three candidates. But none is seen attaining a majority in the first round of balloting, likely leading to a runoff between the top two.

In Friday’s presidential election, a total of 736 votes will be cast—368 from LDP lawmakers and another 368 from rank-and-file members and supporters across the country.

If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff will be held the same day. But in the runoff, the number of votes representing rank-and-file members and supporters will fall to 47, which will be cast by the party’s prefectural chapters, while the lawmakers’ votes will remain unchanged.

Of the LDP lawmakers, about 60 have not clarified whom they will vote for.

Over half of Koizumi’s supporters among lawmakers have no affiliation with LDP factions.

His supporters also included lawmakers from the factions linked to the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai, both of which have announced plans to dissolve themselves, and lawmakers from the disbanded Kishida faction.

However, some LDP lawmakers are concerned about Koizumi’s ability to manage the government. He had very limited support from members of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, which is set to have an election next summer.

Among other candidates, former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, 49, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, 63, each had support from at least 40 lawmakers. About 60 pct of the lawmakers who back Kobayashi were from the Abe or Nikai faction, while Hayashi had broad-based support from those from the Kishida faction.

Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, 68, had over 30 supporters mainly from his own faction, which has decided to disband. Support for Takaichi was predominantly from the Abe faction, while Ishiba’s backers were mostly factionless.

Digital transformation minister Taro Kono, 61, had nearly 30 supporters mostly from the faction led by former Prime Minister Taro Aso. Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, 71, and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, 68, face the need to increase their supporters from the 20 lawmakers from whom they each gained recommendations in order to join the race.