Koike, Ishihara, Yosano to challenge Aso in LDP presidential race

Friday 05th September, 05:55 AM JST

TOKYO —

Three Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers stepped up moves Thursday to challenge LDP Secretary General Taro Aso in the Sept. 22 party presidential election to pick the successor to outgoing Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.

Former Defense Minister Yuriko Koike has met the requirement to file candidacy by securing nominations from 20 lawmakers, while Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano and Nobuteru Ishihara, a former LDP policy chief, separately expressed their intentions to run.

The new LDP president is certain to be elected Fukuda’s successor as prime minister due to the party’s majority in the House of Representatives, the powerful lower house of the Diet.

‘‘I’d like to create an environment to run,’’ Koike, a 56-year-old TV news anchorwoman-turned-lawmaker, told reporters.

Yosano, a 70-year-old strong believer in fiscal rehabilitation, told reporters after meeting Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura on Thursday evening, ‘‘I came to see the chief Cabinet secretary because it has become highly likely that I will run in the LDP presidential race.’‘

‘‘As a cabinet member, I thought I had the responsibility to explain the situation to the chief Cabinet secretary,’’ Yosano said, adding that he made the decision Wednesday to gain the presidency through policy debate.

Following such moves, Aso, 67, has decided to officially announce his candidacy as early as Friday and present his election pledge on Monday, according to sources close to Aso.

Twenty-five lawmakers supporting Aso held a meeting to effectively launch the election headquarters.

On Thursday morning, Ishihara, 51, said in a stump speech in Tokyo, ‘‘Our mission is not to create a situation where Mr. Aso alone will be running as a candidate.’‘

Ishihara, known as an advocate of structural reforms over economic stimulus, later told reporters that he takes the opposite policy stance to Aso, who advocates spending more public money to boost the economy.

‘‘Such occasions must be provided where various proposals can be presented,’’ Ishihara said. ‘‘If no one comes forward, I will stand up even if it may cost me my life.’‘

A House of Representatives member from a Tokyo constituency, Ishihara is the son of Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, and has held posts such as LDP Policy Research Council chairman, LDP acting secretary general and transport minister.

An LDP executive said Ishihara stands to secure the required 20 recommendations from lawmakers.

Meanwhile, Yosano also met Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, who also upholds fiscal rehabilitation, to seek support.

Yosano reportedly said he expressed his intention to run in the race on Thursday morning to former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, who Yosano once served with as secretary.

Various LDP factions held meetings Thursday to discuss their responses to the presidential election, while a group of junior LDP lawmakers pushing for structural reforms also met the same day.

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Latest 15 of 19 Total Comments Show All

Youdontknow at 04:07 PM JST - 4th September

Japan - you forget one thing: Koike is a woman, and Japanese men (especially those in the government) will never allow a woman to be PM!
Altria at 04:31 PM JST - 4th September

Youdontknow: I don't think that's quite true any more - she was picked because she gets the job done in pressure situations. Her ERA and K/BB ratio speak for themselves.
Noripinhead at 05:00 PM JST - 4th September

The thing about Koike is that she is well liked by the Japanese public at large, which is not true of Hillary Clinton. She does come across as a bit of a celebrity, but that didn't stop Mr. Hashimoto from becoming Governor of Osaka. Aso has that shitamachi atmosphere which appeals to the average Taro on the Street. It would be refreshing to have a PM as glamorous as Koike, though. It would make life in Japan much more interesting. Japan is ready for it, even though it's not going to happen.
OssanULTRA at 09:26 PM JST - 4th September

"Japan - you forget one thing: Koike is a woman, and Japanese men (especially those in the government) will never allow a woman to be PM!"

Unless those men feel that having a female PM is in the best interests of the party and/or country. Not unlike the United States or anywhere else in the world for that matter.
moderateguy2008 at 09:31 PM JST - 4th September

OssanULTRA; Japanese society is not ready for a woman PM. Chauavnism is the most rife in developed nations in Japan. This bhas be shown by reports showing how many women succeed in high positions in Japan.

The LDP know this , and the fact taht many Japanese older men, would not vote for a woman. Sad but true.
Triple888 at 10:35 PM JST - 4th September

Phew...I panicked there when I saw "Ishihara". Relieved to learn it's NOT Shintarō Ishihara.
Bizarro at 11:24 PM JST - 4th September

Aso will win; this has already been determined. But they need some more candidates, so people will think there was an actual choice and the media will have something to write about. Someone like Koike will pay her dues by losing here, so in the future she can expect something better (just like Aso ran and lost in the past; now it's his "turn").

Today's paper referred to the LDP being "in crisis". But they are in a crisis every one or two years, yet have remained in power almost continuously since 1955. It's scandalous, really, yet it continues. And remember the leader of the main opposition party, Ichiro Ozawa, was formerly a chief secretary in the LDP. The country is very nearly a one-party state. It's very hard to get excited about this "election".

Cheers,
usaexpat at 11:35 PM JST - 4th September

I think Koike has a good shot at the PMs spot. That said either Koike or Aso will be better than Fukuda who just has no charisma.
OssanULTRA at 12:04 AM JST - 5th September

"OssanULTRA; Japanese society is not ready for a woman PM."

Disagree. And whether Japanese Society is ready for one will be determined by the Japanese people, or rather those already in power. We weren't ready for a female conservative Republican vp nominee either. Or for that matter even an African-American Presidential candidate. Whether they end up in the positions they aspire to is not the issue, that they can run and be accepted by a sufficient number of the populace is what's significant. Similarly, that Yuriko Koike is even in the running as a possibility already says alot about the direction in which J-society is moving.
akaguma at 01:15 AM JST - 5th September

the LDP are the most inbred political party in the democratised world. it does not matter who takes the top post, as there are no individuals with original ideas. the only reason koizumi was considered a 'maverick' was because of his silly hair and 'flamboyant' personality. otherwise he toed the party line as all those who follow him have and will continue to do so. political change is just rhetoric in japan, merely tatemae
soldave at 09:39 AM JST - 5th September

Triple888 - no, it's his son!
tkoind2 at 10:21 AM JST - 5th September

One hope. That Koizumi is pushing Koike in the background to avoid the disaster that Aso will very clearly bring.

One up side. If Aso wins he will be the end of the LDP. Just hope he doesn't take the entire country with him.

Why do people vote for these petit-fascists like Aso and Ishihara anyway? Kind of like otherwise intelligent guy or girl dating the crackhead boyfriend for girlfriend. Maybe the self desctructive instinct that makes some people choose terrible partners also makes human populations make idiotic policical decisions.
Simon_Foston at 10:55 AM JST - 5th September

the LDP are the most inbred political party in the democratised world. it does not matter who takes the top post, as there are no individuals with original ideas. the only reason koizumi was considered a 'maverick' was because of his silly hair and 'flamboyant' personality. otherwise he toed the party line as all those who follow him have and will continue to do so. political change is just rhetoric in japan, merely tatemae

Serious political change would involve redrawing the constituency maps so that the number of people voting for each lawmaker is roughly equal in every area and rural voters are no longer over-represented. Then there would be no incentive to keep bribing the yokels with useless public works projects, big subsidies for zombie businesses and agricultural politicies that protect unprofitable small farms. As this is what the LDP depends on to stay in power I don't think such reform will ever happen. There's also every indication that Ozawa would continue to exploit the situation in exactly the same way if the DPJ won power.
fds at 11:13 AM JST - 5th September

while aso will probably win, i really hope he doesn't as the country can't afford anymore of his porkbarrel politics. when the leader of the country is selected by his other politicians he has no incentive to listen to the people. the problem is that the people keep putting these guys in office. as for the DPJ, they've been opposition so long, they wouldn't know what to do if they did get power.
Bizarro at 11:19 PM JST - 5th September

The following quote from Nobuteru Ishihara in today's paper seems to support my previous comment perfectly:

"I think that we must avoid a situation in which no one else but Aso runs for president. It seems like Yosano is considering running and I would like to make efforts as a midechelon lawmaker to make sure the presidential election is full of lively discussion."

In other words, he knows Aso will win but it would be embarrassing for the LDP if he ran unopposed. He himself ("midechelon lawmaker") has no chance of actually winning, but there is a need to keep up appearances ("lively discussion") for the media and the masses.