THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
November 7, 2024 at 16:24 JST
Nippon Ishin President Nobuyuki Baba speaks at an executive meeting in Osaka on Oct. 31. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Nobuyuki Baba, president of Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party), announced on Nov. 6 that he will not seek re-election to take responsibility for the party's dismal showing in the recent Lower House election.
“I have decided not to run in the presidential election in response to the results of the Lower House election,” Baba posted on X, formerly Twitter. “We need to turn over a new leaf to restart the party on this occasion.”
On the same day, Ishin decided to hold the party’s presidential election starting from Nov. 17 with voting and vote counting on Dec. 1.
The party lost six of the 44 seats it held prior to the Oct. 27 election, while most other opposition parties gained seats.
Ishin conducted an online poll starting from Nov. 3 to ask if it should hold a presidential election.
In the poll, “special members” of the party including the party’s lawmakers, leaders of local governments and local assembly members cast ballots.
On Nov. 6, the result of the poll was announced at an executive board meeting held in Osaka.
The total number of votes cast was 768, with 696 in favor and 56 opposed.
The party’s constitution stipulates that it will decide whether to hold a presidential election after major elections. This is the first time for the party to decide to hold a presidential poll through voting only among “special members.”
There are calls within the party to promote Hirofumi Yoshimura, the co-leader and governor of Osaka Prefecture, to succeed Baba.
However, some younger Ishin lawmakers blame Yoshimura for the disappointing Lower House election result because he is the party's co-leader.
Only special party members--lawmakers, local government leaders, local assembly members and prospective Diet and assembly candidates with official endorsements from the party--can run in the presidential election.
It is necessary to garner at least 50 recommendations from special members to run in the party's presidential election.
(This article was written by Kei Kobayashi and Yuichi Nobira.)
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