Take our user survey and make your voice heard.
Two Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers Monday declared their candidacies for the Sept 22 LDP presidential election, joining two other candidates who have already entered the race.
Former Defense Minister Yuriko Koike, 56, the first female candidate to seek the LDP presidency, told a news conference that the keyword for her policy platform is ''reform,'' while Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano, 70, said he will focus on establishing a ''sustainable society.''
Koike and Yosano will face LDP Secretary General Taro Aso, 67, and former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, 51, in the election to choose a successor for outgoing Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
Former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori told a meeting of an LDP faction led by Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura that he intends to support Aso in the presidential election.
Koike, a TV news anchorwoman-turned-lawmaker, said, ''What I will aim for is to change this world, the system of Japanese society. On the other hand, I would like to preserve tradition, family ties and the solidarity of community, which should be preserved.''
On specific policies, Koike said she will consider introducing an environmental tax while stimulating agriculture to eliminate regional disparities and promoting policies from a female perspective.
Yosano told a separate press conference the LDP should not be a party ''that does not feel people's pain. I'm aiming for kindhearted reform.''
He also suggested that he will mull raising the consumption tax, saying, ''I'd like to gain public understanding on the overall tax system and finance, not only on the consumption tax.''
On a consumption tax hike, Koike said she cannot think about it now, although it is an option for Japan to remain a sustainable society in the future.
Yosano also said he would not immediately dissolve the House of Representatives for a general election if he becomes Fukuda's successor so as to prioritize enactment of an extra budget.
''Enactment of the supplementary budget would be the most important task,'' he said. ''Politicians have been entrusted with swiftly carrying out an emergency economic package that includes an extra budget. Considering the cash flow situation of small businesses, the budget must come into effect before the year-end.''
Some senior ruling bloc lawmakers have indicated they anticipate that Fukuda's successor will dissolve the lower house in early October for a snap general election in November.
Other than the four, former LDP policy chief Nobuteru Ishihara, 51, has also shown an interest in running and plans to announce his candidacy Tuesday, according to sources close to Ishihara.
Former State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ichita Yamamoto, who had earlier expressed hope to run in the party election, told reporters Monday night that he will give up the idea. He was struggling to secure the requisite number of recommendations from 20 LDP lawmakers.
Yasufumi Tanahashi, a former state minister for science and technology, is also seen to have difficulty securing the recommendations.
The election campaign is scheduled to start Wednesday.
Fukuda's successor is certain to assume the post of prime minister due to the party's majority in the House of Representatives, the powerful lower house of the Diet.
© Wire reports
26 Comments
Login to comment
thepro
no chance
Noripinhead
In the words of the immortal Gomer Pyle, "Surprise, surprise, surprise!" It's all a show to make it seem like people are getting a choice. You get the feeling that someone has written a script.
chibaman
Exactly. Took her a week to get those 20 signatures, or baseballs or weather forecasts or whatever else she likened them to, then got all grumpy when the reporters played her little word games back and she couldn't vague herself out of the situation anymore.
Geez I wonder if Aso will win this nomination. Why would you want it though, and be at the helm when the LDP loses its grip for more than 10 months for the first time.
Koike and others are showing their faces and circling for spoils. Something Aso was doing not too long back.
John Lawrence
If, God forbid, Sarah Palin becomes the US vice-president, and Koike ends up heading Japan, we need to get those two together. The resulting vortex of nothingness would create the largest low-pressure system on the planet since Hurricane Katrina.
JoeBigs
Oh no not a bleeding heart change the world type! Please I like Japan the way it is....... Keep it moving forward and do not make it in the image of the States.
Nessie
Shhhhh; don't say "bid"!
Sarge
zzonker - Heh, either that, or the reulting worldwind of change for the better would benefit millions, including you.
Raja Kumar
Way to go Koike. I wish japan will push for her to be PM, with japan people support.
moonbeams
While it would do wonders for the breaking that 10km thick glass ceiling, I would be sad if robbed from the opportunity to make Mr. Aso jokes.
Either way, there's a good chance that the next PM's reign will be cut short with the LPD finally losing the election, if and only if the people step up.
I have asked everyone I know if they support the LPD and they all said "no!" in disgust.
Just wish more people would vote and make a change.
Zer00
Ebi chan for president :P
To be so far up in the political ladder in a male dominated Japanese society must take a lot. Good luck!
Sarge
"Ebi chan for president"
Heck, might as well go all the way:
Hitomi Kuroki for president!
Wottock_Hunt
This is a sham. Aso is the De Facto PM.
mojibake
Madam Sushi for Prime Minister!!!!
serindipity
NEWS FLASH!!!!
Serendipity from the JT forums announces a bid for LDP presidential race!
JoeBigs
Ok ok I want to inform all here that I, Joebigs am running for PM! I know all of you can not wait to see sm, a true middle of the road sort of guy win!
Man can we say everyone is throwing their hat into the ring on this one!
Next we may get a porn star or two throwing their hats in! Oh wait that only happens in the States.......Or was that some south American country?
chibaman
I hereby also declare my interest in the above position. I will however be seeing to the construction of a highway from outside my house to the convenience store which is 3 minutes away by bicycle, and then said highway will do several loops and remain unfinished somewhere inconvenient for someone else. And when I get caught not using it, I will apologise and pledge to amend my ways and then some more blah blah.
cow76
I was teaching today and one student said that it was important to have a female leader before the US had one. I asked her "do you think Koike is the best person for the job?". The answer was inaudible.
This sounds sexist but if she wins it will be because she's a woman (she has no other redeeming features). She's hopeless but then again, Japanese politicians are hardly the cream of society. At least she couldn't be worse than Mori.
John Lawrence
Cow - Comes as no surprise, but your student is seeing it wrong. It's not a race to have a female leader first. In that regard, Japan will have to go for the bronze among G8 countries; the UK's Thatcher and Germany's Merkel coming in 1 and 2.
I don't care if she's female. Koike may do a good job; my distrust of her is rooted in that she comes from showbiz land, albeit journalism, but showbiz land nonetheless. If Aso was some geinokai somewhere and plopped into politics, I'd share the same distrust.
usaexpat
I think Koike would make a good PM. Maybe she would actually last longer than 1 year like Abe and Fukuda.
rjdsr
Sarge:
All along, I thought Hitomi Kuroki has been playing Yuriko Koike as a politician in real life!
JoeBigs
Hell if this woman wants to change the world then become a teacher and stay the hell out of politics.
I hate when bleeding hearts like this try to mold the world in their own image. Sorry lady, but Japan is just fine without your screwed up ideas. If you want to do some good, then do something about all those lame soup operas my wife keeps watching!
Canukle
Cow - Comes as no surprise, but your student is seeing it wrong. It's not a race to have a female leader first. In that regard, Japan will have to go for the bronze among G8 countries; the UK's Thatcher and Germany's Merkel coming in 1 and 2.
It actually makes Japan 4th as Canada had a female PM in the 90s for a summer. Kim Campbell...not very effective, but she was the Prime Minister, almost in the same sort of position that Koike would find herself, as a bit of a stop-gap leader. Once the general election hit, out went Campbell. If Koike does happen to be chosen as the leader of the LDP, will the Japanese general public vote for her? Sad to say but from the looks of things, Aso has it sewn up, and all of thesechoice` candidates are just window dressing.
nath
good luck for koike. in every case we will have a new election next year. Koizumi must come back.
nath
I think than Koike san can be a good PM. better that fukuda or Abe. and better that the other candidate.
sk4ek
Can you imagine having to listen to Ishiba every day at PM press conferences??? "Pendantic" is putting it politely--I think the populace would revolt just to get him away from a microphone.
jimmystone
i think that she is the best person to be the next pm,,but this is japan they only choose the dummies and not the smartest person because she is a woman,,,,