Ldp Factions Discuss Choosing Abe's Successor
Political factions in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are discussing potential candidates to succeed Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.
The LDP is expected to decide when and how to choose its next leader in a General Council meeting on Tuesday. Discussions on the potential candidates are starting in earnest before the decision comes.
LDP top officials are planning to have its members in both houses of the Diet meet around September 13th to 15th to choose the party's president, who will become the next prime minister of Japan.
LDP Policy Research Council Chairperson Kishida Fumio, and former LDP Secretary-General Ishiba Shigeru have shown interest in running in the party's presidential race.
Some party members are hopeful of a bid by Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide.
Kishida held talks on Sunday with some senior party members, including Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Aso Taro, and asked for their support.
Kishida intends to formally announce his candidacy once he decides to run. He plans to meet senior members of his faction on Monday and discuss his election pledge.
Ishiba also met his faction's top officials on Sunday. He later told reporters that they granted him discretion to decide whether to run, and said he is willing to do so. He plans to listen to opinions from other members of his faction.
Suga held talks with LDP Secretary-General Nikai Toshihiro and Diet Affairs Committee Chair Moriyama Hiroshi on Saturday. Senior members of Nikai's faction hinted that the group may support Suga if he runs.
Suga has not made it clear if he will run for the party's presidential race. But some LDP members are considering asking him to be a candidate.
A group led by former Chief Cabinet Secretary Hosoda Hiroyuki also held a meeting on Sunday. It is the LDP's largest faction and Prime Minister Abe is from the group.
The faction's senior members agreed to take united action. Some of them argued that the group should put forward its own candidate. They are planning to seek other members' opinions on Monday.
Usually, all LDP Diet lawmakers and party members nationwide vote in the election. But in urgent cases, only LDP Diet legislators plus the representatives of prefectural chapters cast votes.
Some LDP members say the next leader should be elected through votes by all party members. Toward that end they are collecting signatures among the party.
