By KOHEI MORIOKA/ Staff Writer
June 28, 2024 at 18:34 JST
Shigeru Ishiba, former secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Shigeru Ishiba, former secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has decided to run in the party’s residential election in September.
He informed his close circle of his intentions on June 27.
The decision comes as the approval rates for both Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet and the LDP have sunk to record lows following a slush fund scandal embroiling the party’s factions.
After weeks of not making a clear statement but dropping hints about his candidacy, Ishiba decided to make a fifth attempt to lead the party.
He is now expected to seek support from former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and former LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai, both influential figures within the party who have maintained a distance from Kishida.
Despite his limited support within the LDP ranks, Ishiba has consistently rated high in opinion polls about prospective prime ministers.
Many within the party see the leadership election as a chance to revive the LDP's waning public support.
Due to the lack of strong support within his party, Ishiba has previously struggled to secure enough votes from LDP lawmakers in past presidential elections.
However, Ishiba has enjoyed broader backing from ordinary party members nationwide, and he may hold an advantage over other candidates this time as criticism continues over the party's dependency on factional politics.
Ishiba does not belong to any LDP faction.
Representing a district in Tottori Prefecture, Ishiba is currently serving his 12th term as a Lower House member.
In the 2012 LDP presidential election, he led after the initial round of voting but ultimately lost to Shinzo Abe in a runoff dominated by lawmakers’ votes.
Taro Kono, the digital transformation minister, has also expressed his willingness to enter the presidential race. He notified former Prime Minister Taro Aso of his intention on June 26.
Despite belonging to the Aso faction, Kono may not receive Aso’s endorsement in the election. The former prime minister is expected to support Kishida’s bid for re-election in the race.
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