Japan's ruling party votes for next PM as no clear winner seen (updated)
29/09/2021 01:51
* New LDP leader almost certain to be next PM
* Four candidates in close race
* Kishida and Kono seen as frontrunners
* Takaichi long-shot to be first female PM
(Adds background, quote from Kono)
By Antoni Slodkowski and Leika Kihara
TOKYO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Japan's ruling party votes for a
new leader on Wednesday who will almost certainly become the
next prime minister ahead of a general election due in weeks and
with the economy staggering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Running for the top post https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/possible-candidates-become-japans-next-prime-minister-2021-09-08
are popular vaccine minister Taro Kono, 58, a U.S.-educated
former defence and foreign minister seen as a maverick;
ex-foreign minister Fumio Kishida, 64, a consensus-builder
saddled with a bland image; former internal affairs minister
Sanae Takaichi, 60, an ultra-conservative; and Seiko Noda, 61,
from the party's dwindling liberal wing.
The leadership election is shaping up to be a showdown
between Kono and Kishida.
"I did all I had to do. Next is just to wait for a call,"
Kono told reporters, according to Kyodo.
Party lawmakers will begin voting at 1:00 p.m. Japan
time(0400 GMT) at a Tokyo hotel. Rank-and-file party members
have been voting for several days. Results from all ballots are
scheduled to be announced at 2:20 p.m.
If any candidate gets a clear majority, though projections
show it is unlikely, that person will become the winner.
If not, the top two candidates in the first round will
immediately go into a run-off vote https://www.reuters.com/article/japan-politics-election-idINL1N2QU073.
The results of the second round of voting are expected around
3:40 p.m.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, his support in tatters ahead
of the election, in a surprise move said he would step down
after only a year as the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader
at a scheduled Sept. 29 party vote.
The new party chief is expected to become the next prime
minister as the LDP holds a majority in the parliament's
powerful lower house, but the contest has created political
uncertainty in Japan with four candidates.
Last year, LDP factions rallied around Suga after Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe quit following his nearly eight-year tenure,
citing ill-health. But Suga's ratings tanked over his handling
of the pandemic, prompting him to announce his departure ahead
of a general election that must be held by Nov. 28.
This time, the race to become the country's next leader is
too close to call. Most factions are not unified and votes from
rank-and-file members are counted, as opposed to last year.
Kono has the highest numbers in public polls, but Kishida
leads among lawmakers, predictions show, as senior party bosses
see him more stable.
Grassroot LDP members and rookie lawmakers have emerged as a
force https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/junior-japanese-lawmakers-emerge-force-wide-open-pm-race-2021-09-27
in the brief campaign preceding the votes, seen more likely to
be swayed by popularity ratings.
But rank-and-file members will have less say in the run-off,
as the second-round vote https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-pm-suga-is-stepping-down-whats-next-japans-political-calendar-2021-09-07
gives greater weight to parliamentarians, potentially boosting
Kishida's chances against Kono.
In case of the run-off, Takaichi, a contender in third, has
agreed to support Kishida, Sankei Newspaper reported on
Wednesday.
Out of 47 prefectures, Kono has finished top in rank-and
-file party member voting in five prefectures including Tokyo,
while Kishida in two prefecutre, Jiji reported.
A win by Kono or Kishida is unlikely to trigger a huge shift
in policies as Japan seeks to cope with an assertive China and
revive an economy hit by the pandemic, but Kono's push for
renewable energy https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/renewable-energy-firms-pin-hopes-taro-kono-winning-race-japan-pm-2021-09-24
and to remove bureaucratic obstacles to reform have made him
appealing to investors and business chiefs.
Takaichi has been more outspoken on hotbutton issues such as
acquiring the ability to strike enemy missile launchers. She has
also made clear that as premier, she would visit the Yasukuni
Shrine https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-pm-contenders-support-taiwans-trade-pact-application-2021-09-24
for war dead, seen in Beijing and Seoul as a symbol of Japan's
past militarism. Kono has said he would not.
The candidates have also clashed over cultural values, with
Kono favouring legal changes to allow same-sex marriage https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-politics-same-sex-marriage-idUSKBN2GO04N
and separate surnames for married couples, both anathema to
conservatives like Takaichi.
Kono and Kishida have pointed to https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/key-economic-policy-stances-japans-next-pm-candidates-2021-09-10
the failure of Abe's signature "Abenomics" mix of expansionary
fiscal and monetary policies and growth strategy to benefit
households but offered few specifics as to how to fix the flaw,
while Takaichi has modelled her "Sanaenomics" on her mentor
Abe's plans. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2QQ0FG
The next prime minister will continue with expansionary
economic policy "for at least another year", as the pandemic has
yet to be contained, said Ryutaro Kono, chief Japan economist at
BNP Paribas.
(Reporting by Antoni Slodkowski, Leika Kihara, Ju-min Park;
additional reporting by Daniel Leussink, Ritsuko Ando; Editing
by Michael Perry)
((antoni.slodkowski@thomsonreuters.com; +81-80-3559-9968;
Reuters Messaging:
antoni.slodowski.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))