Digital Minister Taro Kono will announce his candidacy for the Liberal Democratic Party chairman election next month, sources familiar with the matter said on Saturday. Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa has also informed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of her intention to run.
About 10 other LDP members have also expressed interest in becoming Japan’s next leader after Kishida suddenly announced he would not run for re-election. They include former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, who is expected to announce his candidacy at a press conference on Monday.
The Japanese Prime Minister is elected by Parliament and the LDP-led coalition government has a majority in both houses of Parliament.
Taro Kono. (Kyodo)
Yoko Kamikawa. (Kyodo)
Kono, a social media-savvy and reform-minded maverick, has notified LDP Vice President Taro Aso of his intention and is expected to make an official statement on Tuesday after the election date is decided, the sources said. Kono belongs to the LDP faction led by Aso.
Kono’s entry into the race would be his third attempt to become LDP chairman after his previous bid in the 2021 election. According to the sources, he has sought support from party members outside his faction to build broader support.
Kamikawa, a former member of Kishida’s faction that was dissolved earlier this year, posted on her official X account on Saturday that she had told the prime minister of her intentions in the afternoon. The post was accompanied by a photo of her asking for support on the phone.
During a speech in Tsubame, Niigata Prefecture, Kobayashi vowed to transform the LDP into an organization where people are appointed based on their skills and experience, rather than abusing majority power to influence personnel and financial decisions.
On Tuesday, former members of the dissolved Kishida faction are scheduled to meet to discuss supporting Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, who is also interested in running.
According to party officials, the official election campaign for the LDP presidency will most likely begin on September 12, with elections taking place on September 27.
Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Industry Minister Ken Saito and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi are also considered possible candidates.
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