Former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Saturday he will run in the ruling party’s presidential election in September, his fifth and “final” attempt to take over leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party and the country.
Ishiba, 67, known as a policy expert on security, agriculture and regional revitalization, lost to Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga in recent party elections but did not run again in 2021 when Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was elected LDP chairman.
The former banker-turned-politician said the Sept. 27 election campaign would be the “high point” of his 38-year political career. Digital Minister Taro Kono, 61, whom Ishiba supported in the last election, is expected to announce his intention to run again on Monday.
When Ishiba announced his candidacy at a shrine in his constituency in Tottori Prefecture in western Japan, he stressed that the LDP needed to regain public trust after a political funding scandal.
“I will return to where I started and devote myself fully to the upcoming election,” he told a news conference. “Politics can change and the LDP can change. I am confident I can do that.”
Former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba shakes hands with a supporter in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on Aug. 24, 2024. (Kyodo)
The next LDP leader will almost certainly become prime minister, as both houses of parliament are controlled by the party and its smaller coalition partner Komeito.
Kishida has decided not to seek re-election after his three-year term ends in September, citing low approval ratings for his cabinet following the political funds scandal, revelations about links between LDP politicians and the controversial religious group Unification Church, and the cost of living crisis.
Ishiba stressed the importance of “following rules” to regain voters’ trust, adding that if elected, he would strive to protect people’s livelihoods and the regional economy.
The former LDP secretary general also said the next lower house elections should be held “at an early stage.”
The Prime Minister can dissolve the powerful House of Representatives and call a new election. The next election must take place before the current term of the Commons MPs expires in October 2025.
During the press conference, Ishiba spoke in favor of allowing married couples to use separate surnames, a controversial issue within the LDP.
He also vowed to make “every effort” to phase out nuclear power while promoting renewable energy. Kishida’s government is calling for maximum use of nuclear power and is trying to restart reactors under stricter safety standards set after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.
Ishiba ranks high in opinion polls of preferred candidates to lead Japan, but he is struggling to expand his support base within the ruling party.
Ishiba has been vocal in his criticism of Abe, post-war Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, on economic policy issues and has called for greater efforts to revitalize regional economies.
Candidates wishing to run in the LDP presidential election need the support of at least 20 LDP members of parliament.
About 10 LDP lawmakers are expected to run for the party chairmanship. Former environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi, 43, who like Ishiba is a popular favorite, is expected to announce his candidacy next week.
Among those also expected to throw their hats in the ring are 63-year-old Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi and 63-year-old Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, who had close ties to Abe.
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Kyodo poll: Former Defense Minister Ishiba in talks to be next Japanese Prime Minister
