Photo/Illutration Four candidates in the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan’s leadership election, pictured in Tokyo on Sept. 7 (Naoko Kawamura)

The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan kicked off its leadership race with its sights set on replacing the ruling coalition in a Lower House election that may be called in the fall.

The outcome of the CDP’s election will determine who will challenge the new prime minister selected in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidential contest that will get under way shortly.

Through lively and engaging debates among the candidates, the struggling opposition party needs to offer an attractive and viable policy agenda to convince voters it is a credible governing alternative.

In an unexpected turn of events, two veteran politicians--Yukio Edano, the former leader who resigned after losing the previous Lower House election, and Yoshihiko Noda, the last prime minister from the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan--announced their candidacies.

The current leader, Kenta Izumi, struggled to gather enough endorsements from party Diet members to join the race, but managed to qualify the day before official campaigning started. Harumi Yoshida, a first-term Lower House member, also joined the roster of candidates at the last moment.

As a party that advocates gender equality, Yoshida’s candidacy prevented the election from being an all-male contest, helping to avoid political embarrassment.

While the candidacies of Noda and Edano reflect the party’s struggle to usher in a new generation of leadership, the key question is whether they will be able to apply lessons from their past failures.

A public opinion poll by The Asahi Shimbun in late August found that 42 percent of voters supported the continuation of an LDP-led government, while 43 percent favored a change to a setup led by parties other than the LDP.

Despite solid public support for regime change, the CDP’s approval rating remains at dismal levels. This is because it has yet to position itself as a viable alternative in the eyes of the public.

The leadership election is a critical moment for the party to prove to voters that it is worthy of receiving a mandate to rule.

On Sept. 7, the four candidates participated in a joint news conference and debate at the Japan National Press Club.

Noda emphasized that “regime change constitutes the greatest political reform,” while Edano advocated a “human-centered economy.” Izumi expressed pride in his three years as leader, and Yoshida stated her goal of creating “toshindai” (true-to-life, down-to-earth) politics not bound by traditional political customs.

On issues where the candidates hold differing views, it is essential that the four CDP lawmakers engage in thorough debates to consolidate policies to present to voters.

For example, Yoshida has proposed a temporary reduction of the consumption tax rate to 5 percent from the current 10 percent and an exemption of the tax on food items. Izumi is also open to a tax exemption for food. In contrast, both Noda and Edano have proposed a “tax credit with benefits” designed to return part of consumption tax revenue to taxpayers.

The CDP should also use this election to solidify its stance on key foreign and security policies, such as national security legislation that partially allows Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense and the project to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa Prefecture from the crowded city of Ginowan to the Henoko district of Nago.

Another critical issue is whether and how opposition parties should cooperate in the Lower House election. While there is broad agreement that the opposition entities should field unified candidates in single-member districts, how to achieve this complicated political challenge remains an open question. The candidates must provide a concrete road map for consensus building within the fractured and divisive opposition camp.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 8

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