Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura Elected as Japan Innovation Party Leader (UPDATE1)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:15 JST, December 1, 2024 (updated at 18:30 JST, Dec. 1)

OSAKA — The Japan Innovation Party on Sunday elected Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura as its new leader at a convention in Osaka.

The JIP will hold a general meeting of its lawmakers from both chambers of the Diet on Monday to elect a new deputy leader from among their ranks. Yoshimura, 49, was the previous deputy leader under outgoing chief Nobuyuki Baba.

Other candidates to head the party were House of Representatives lawmaker Ryuna Kanemura, 45; lower house lawmaker Seiki Soramoto, 60; and House of Councillors member Shigefumi Matsuzawa, 66.

The race focused on such issues as how to rebuild the JIP’s momentum in the wake of its defeat in the latest lower house election and how to maintain the JIP’s distance from the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito.

There were 25,871 eligible voters in the party election, including 846 special party members who include Diet members, local assembly members and local government heads. Also eligible to vote were 25,025 rank-and-file members who have paid member fees for at least two years.

Both the 846 special members and the rank and file cast one ballot each. Yoshimura gained votes mostly in Osaka Prefecture, where half of the rank-and-file members reside.

The number of lower house seats held by the JIP decreased by six, falling to 38, as a result of the general election in October. In proportional representation races, it secured about 5.1 million ballots, down about 3 million from the previous lower house poll.

Many JIP members were increasingly critical of Baba and urged him to take responsibility for the election’s outcome.

Based on the party’s rules, the JIP headquarters asked Diet members, local assembly members and local government heads belonging to the JIP whether an election should be held to choose a new leader. The majority opted for an election.