Two Deputies Running

Two deputies of Fumio Kishida administration, one is on executive side and another on party side, announced their candidacy in presidential election of the Liberal Democratic Party. The LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi revealed his campaign policies, which might deny the policy of Kishida administration. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi mostly succeeds Kishida’s policies. Policy talks over the election were vitalized by jumping in of two leaders.

In the press conference, Motegi upheld fiscal policy with no tax increase. While Kishida administration indicated tax increase for implementing expansion of defense budget and supporting measures for families with child, Motegi insisted stopping it at least 1 trillion yen. He argued that the budget would be covered by increase of tax income with economic growth and he would declare getting rid of deflation within six months after inauguration.

 

Kishida had made a compromise with Komeito to maintain the system of Political Activities Fund of each party with threshold of 50 thousand yen disclosing every year. Motegi upheld abolition of the system. “I am going to make all the income of each party transparent,” said Motegi. He also proposed taxation on political funds as business income.

 

It is unusual for a deputy of the president, such as the secretary general, to embrace policies opposing to the president. Motegi has been frustrated Kishida’s announcement of dissolving faction or other unilateral decisions. It was reported that Kishida became furious when he heard about the campaign policy of Motegi. There is a criticisms in the party on Motegi’s defiance against his boss, calling him “Mitsuhide Akechi in Reiwa Era.”

 

Hayashi announced his candidacy a day before Motegi’s press conference. Called as a man of 119, equivalent with 911 in the United States, in politics, because he had several opportunities to take seats of failed ministers, Hayashi appealed his rich experience as a leader of executive offices. “All of my experiences and achievements will be used for this country,” stressed Hayashi in his press conference.

 

To make political funds transparent, Hayashi proposed establishment of Japanese version of Federal Election Commission in the United States. He approved party’s endorsement of lawmakers who had been involved in the slush fund scandal in next general election of the Diet. Succeeding one of the top agenda of Kishida administration, Hayashi promised initiative of the Diet for constitutional amendment within three years and support of nuclear power generation as baseload power resource of Japan.

 

There have been policy discussions by three candidates already announced their candidacy. One of them, Takayuki Kobayashi, upheld disclosing the Policy Activities Fund within one year. Taro Kono required secret funds to be returned. Motegi and Hayashi tried to overtake those previous arguments to appeal to the voters. However, one common character for two of them is that they are obviously the candidates who represent each of their own factions.