[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Following Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's declaration that he will not run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election scheduled for the 29th, former LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Fumio Kishida is emerging as a leading candidate for the party presidency.
Kishida, who placed second to Prime Minister Suga in last September's LDP leadership election, announced his candidacy on the 26th of last month.
Initially, a two-horse race between Suga and Kishida was expected, but with Suga's withdrawal, Kishida has come into the spotlight.
At his earlier candidacy announcement press conference, Kishida declared, "The foundation of politics?the trust of the people?is collapsing," and vowed, "I will stake my political life to present a new political option."
His stance against Toshihiro Nikai, the LDP Secretary-General who has dominated the party for over five years, is particularly notable. Kishida proposed a reform plan to limit the Secretary-General's term to one year and allow only three consecutive terms (three years) in office if he becomes party president.
He also expressed his intention to apply this principle retroactively, signaling that he would replace the Secretary-General upon becoming president. Nikai expressed displeasure, calling Kishida's plan "rude."
However, reports later emerged that Prime Minister Suga had decided to replace the Secretary-General through a personnel reshuffle within the LDP, making Kishida, who initiated the move to oust Nikai, even more prominent.
Kishida served as Foreign Minister for a long period during the Abe administration and was a key figure in the 2015 Korea-Japan agreement on comfort women as a foreign minister.
Another figure to watch in the leadership election is former Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba. Ishiba has run for party president four times?in 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2020.
He faced off against Abe in 2012 and 2018, and last year competed against Suga and Kishida, finishing third among the three candidates.
He is ranked first or second as a next prime minister candidate in major public opinion polls targeting voters.
In the 2012 leadership election, Ishiba topped the first round of voting, surpassing Abe, but narrowly lost in the runoff, demonstrating his potential strength.
Initially, Ishiba was considered unlikely to run in this leadership election.
Until the day before, Ishiba had responded with "undecided" regarding his candidacy, but on the 3rd, after news of Suga's withdrawal, he told Kyodo News that he would "consult with comrades and make a decision when the time is right" concerning the leadership election.
The political world is also closely watching the movements of Administrative Reform Minister Taro Kono. Until recently, he had not expressed any intention to run and had shown a commitment to supporting Prime Minister Suga in overcoming COVID-19.
However, after Suga's decision not to run was announced on the 3rd, Kyodo News reported that Kono met with faction leader Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso and expressed his intention to run in the leadership election, seeking support.
Kono served as Foreign Minister and Defense Minister during the Abe administration and was involved in the tense phase of Korea-Japan relations.
Additionally, former Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi has expressed her intention to run, and among the younger candidates, Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is considered a contender.
Who former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe supports is also expected to be a key indicator of the leadership race's direction. During his tenure, Abe appointed Kishida to key positions such as Foreign Minister, concurrently Defense Minister, and LDP Policy Research Council Chairman, and was initially expected to designate Kishida as his successor in last year's leadership election.
At that time, while Secretary-General Nikai led efforts to back Suga, Abe's refusal to endorse Kishida was a kind of surprise.
Abe repeatedly expressed support for Suga's re-election ahead of this leadership election, but with Suga's withdrawal, Kishida is expected to seek Abe's backing.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
