Voting will be held on 27 September. Seven people are currently in the run, for the first time, without the backing of party factions, in the wake of the bribery fundraising scandal involving a group of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers. A runoff will almost certainly be necessary. The main opposition party is also reorganising itself ahead of the next general election.

Tokyo (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi is running for the leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to replace Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who recently announced plans to step down after a series of corruption scandals in the party.

So far seven people have come forward for the top job in the ruling party, which will be decided on 27 September. By convention, the leader of the largest party becomes prime minister.

Candidates must register by next Thursday, 12 September, so it is likely that other people might enter the race in the coming few days.

Sanae Takaichi, who was close to the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is in favour of an aggressive monetary policy, and enjoys the support of more conservative lawmakers. In the 2021 party election, she came third.

“With strategic fiscal spending, we can increase employment and incomes, lifting consumer confidence and securing tax revenue without raising tax rates,” Ms Takaichi said today at a press conference.

Prime Minister Kishida, seeking to sort out a scandal over illegal fundraising by a party faction, has put an end to the factional system and internal negotiations, making it harder to predict who might prevail, this according to commentators.

To win it is necessary to have an outright majority; otherwise, a runoff will be held. Given the high number of candidates, the latter is almost certain.

Two young, ex-cabinet members, former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi, and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, are leading the pack.

Kobayashi belongs to the conservative wing of the party, and has had no difficulty in gaining support in the party.

For many lawmakers, the 49-year-old, nicknamed "Kobahawk", who has proposed less harsh measures against lawmakers involved in the bribery scandal, may represent a younger and newer image the party needs right now, but he is a personality little known to the public.

The next LDP president will have to lead the party into a general election that could be held as early as next month.

Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, 43, is a well-known face, especially for some shallow comments. He once said that solving the problem of climate change, “it’s got to be fun; it’s got to be cool; it’s got to be sexy, too.”

However, he has received the support of former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (forced to resign after only one year in office), who could pull strings behind the scenes.

Former Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba, 67, is not linked to recent scandals. Popular among the public, he is not as appreciated by his colleagues, many of whom still consider him a traitor for leaving the LDP in favour of another party in the mid-1990s.

Toshimitsu Motegi, 68, the party's general secretary, was among the favourites before the scandal, as head of the LDP's third-largest faction. But he appears too tied to the "old guard".

On the other end of the party spectrum is former Digital Minister Taro Kono. A polarising figure, he is not particularly liked by his LDP colleagues (who have in fact tried to keep him away), but he could take away some important votes from the leading contenders.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, 63, a confidant of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, is also running. Like another candidate, Ken Saito, the current Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Hayashi is probably manoeuvring to be in a better place for key posts when a new cabinet is selected.

The only other woman in the race, who has not yet announced, is Yoko Kamikawa, 71, the current foreign minister. She has shown to be dependable, but is too close to Kishida.

The main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) will also elect a new leader on 23 September from a quartet of candidates: former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda; former and incumbent party leaders Yukio Edano (60) and Kenta Izumi (50); as well as Harumi Yoshida (52), a first-time member of the House of Representatives (lower house).

In a recent debate among CDP candidates, everyone agreed that it would hard for the CDP to win in a general election (polling around 12 per cent among voters according to the latest surveys), so it would be better to focus on ways to work with the LDP on various policies.

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