LDP Leaders Defend Ishiba

As movement for replacing the president, Shigeru Ishiba, expands in the party, the leaders of Liberal Democratic Party enhance their effort to defend Ishiba. Decision makers in the LDP is raising hurdle against having early presidential election to ask responsibility of Ishiba about defeat in the Upper House election. The more LDP discusses responsibility of the election, the further the party is alienated from the ordinary people who do not require an early presidential election.

 

It has been usual for LDP president to step down when the party lost confidence of general voters in an election. Resignation of LDP president is a synonym of resignation of prime minister. Prime ministers who stepped down after serious defeat in an election include Ryutaro Hashimoto in 1998 or Shinzo Abe in his first term in 2007. Anti-Ishiba groups in the LDP realizes that Ishiba needs to be replaced, because LDP lost majority in both Houses of the Diet under the leadership of Ishiba.

 

Ishiba’s term as LDP president expires in September 2027. LDP constitution provides that a presidential election can be held before the expiration of three-year term with majority of requests among lawmakers and local branches of the party. Anti-Ishiba groups campaign for securing current majority of 172 votes. However, the LDP has no precedent to have an early election without announcement of the president to step down. Ishiba has not announced it.

 

The presidential election is conducted by Presidential Election Committee. Chair of the committee, Ichiro Aisawa, decided that the names of lawmakers and local branches which requested an early presidential election should be disclosed, because it would be a crucial decision for the party. It is obvious for everyone in the party that lawmakers and local branches may hesitate to request an early election, if their names would be disclosed.

 

LDP Summary Committee on the Upper House election is concluding that the main element of defeat in the election was secret fund scandal in LDP factions. The committee is also regarding some malfunction of campaign strategy as another reason of the defeat. Distribution of cash to deal with price inflation or insufficiency in campaigning through social networking service would be some of them. The committee is not going to include responsibility of president Ishiba in its report on revision of the Upper House election.

 

In the polls of news organizations, approval rate for Ishiba Cabinet is rising. The respondents see that secret fund scandal is more responsible for the LDP’s defeat than Ishiba’s leadership. Majority of them think that an early presidential election is unnecessary. “I am afraid of deviation of opinions in the LDP from public opinions,” said LDP Secretary General, Hiroshi Moriyama, noticing result of polls.

 

The LDP is going to hold a Joint Plenary Meeting to review the Upper House election on September 2nd. The party will consider whether to have an early election after the report of Summery Committee is submitted to the meeting. The lawmakers and local branches who have not decided to have an early presidential election have critical votes.

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