The leadership elections for Japan's first and second largest parties in the Diet are set to be held concurrently.

An election for the Lower House, which will determine control of the government, is expected to be held as early as this fall or at the latest by next fall.

This should not merely be a contest for each party’s “face” of the election but an opportunity for the two parties to refine their policy agendas to seek a public mandate and compete over visions for the nation’s future.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has set the schedule for the election to select the new party leader to succeed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who decided not to seek re-election.

The election period will run for two weeks from Sept. 12, when the official campaign period starts, to Sept. 27, the voting day.

The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the leading opposition party, will choose its own leaders following the end of the incumbent Kenta Izumi's term in a race that starts on Sept. 7 with voting on Sept. 23.

The election periods for both parties will be the longest ever under their current respective rules, presumably to maximize their public visibility and media exposure.

Neither party has finalized its slate of candidates, and the electoral landscape remains unclear.

However, the new leader of the LDP will become the next prime minister by virtue of the party’s majority in the Lower House, and the CDP’s new head will be the prime ministerial candidate who will challenge the country’s new leader in the upcoming Lower House poll.

Furthermore, the policies promoted by the winning candidates will form the basis of each party's platform for the Lower House election. It is essential for the two parties to present viable and appealing policy options to the public through open policy debates.

During the Lower House election in 2021 and the Upper House election in 2022, both the ruling and opposition parties promised massive cash handouts and tax cuts.

While it was indeed necessary to revitalize the economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, discussions on how to fund these measures were scant. Consequently, these elections degenerated into what can only be described as a contest of “baramaki” pork-barrel spending and handout politics.

With the total amount of government bonds outstanding, or overall national debt, exceeding 1,000 trillion yen ($6.9 trillion) and rising interest rates, continuing with such lavish spending without regard to fiscal discipline is irresponsible.

With limited financial resources, it is crucial for policymakers to clarify policy priorities, provide thorough explanations and strive for a broad consensus when asking the public to bear additional financial burdens.

In a news conference announcing his decision not to run in the leadership election, Kishida cited his initiatives to fundamentally enhance the nation’s defense capabilities and make a shift in energy policy as policy achievements of his three-year tenure.

However, the Kishida administration’s decisions to revise three key security policy documents to beef up defense capabilities and maximize the use of nuclear power for stable power supplies were made after the 2022 Upper House election without promoting national debate on these radical policy shifts.

The candidates for the LDP leadership election should engage in discussions on whether to continue these policies as they are or substantially amend them.

The slush fund scandal has not only tarnished the LDP's reputation and credibility but also led to public mistrust in politics as a whole. Restoring public trust is a challenge that transcends party lines and is an essential issue in the leadership elections.

It goes without saying that the LDP must first demonstrate a genuine resolve to tackle all the problems that this scandal has brought to the fore and present a convincing blueprint for the fundamental transparency of political funding.

At the same time, the CDP must also present concrete proposals to press for effective political funding reforms by the LDP.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 22