In Japan, official campaigning has commenced for the leadership of the country’s largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), ahead of likely general elections later this year, Japan Today reported.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election, scheduled for 27 September and featuring at least seven candidates, will determine the next Prime Minister of Japan; the winner is expected to call for general elections shortly thereafter.
- Yoshihiko Noda, 67, is one of candidates vying for the leadership of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) on 23 September.
- Harumi Yoshida, 52, a first-term member of the House of Representatives, has emerged as the sole female contender.
- Other candidates for the leadership include Yukio Edano, 60, who led the CDP from its inception in 2017 until 2021, and the current head Kenta Izumi, 50.
Four candidates will participate in the debates in Tokyo. The campaign will focus on issues such as how each candidate will represent their party’s interests in the country and how far they are willing to go in collaborating with other parties, such as the Japanese Communist Party, in the upcoming elections for the House of Representatives, which are scheduled to take place by October 2025.
A multitude of scandals within the LDP, led by outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, has been highlighted by a public opinion poll conducted by Kyodo News in August, which revealed that the Constitutional Democratic Party has the support of only 12.3 per cent of respondents, while the LDP enjoys a backing of 36.7 per cent.
