Japan’s Ex-Economic Security Minister Takes Lead in LDP Presidential Race
(MENAFN) Former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi declared on Thursday his intention to compete in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)’s upcoming presidential election next month, according to media.
"I will take the lead and run in the LDP presidential election," Kobayashi, 50, stated Thursday afternoon following a gathering with his supporters inside the parliament building, the report detailed.
This announcement follows closely on the heels of former Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi’s entry into the race, making Kobayashi the second official candidate vying for the LDP leadership contest scheduled for October 4. The election will determine who will succeed outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Kobayashi, who previously worked as a Finance Ministry bureaucrat, held the post of economic security minister under then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida from 2021 to 2022. He expressed confidence in securing the backing of the 20 LDP lawmakers required to qualify for the race.
This marks Kobayashi’s second attempt at the party presidency after a failed bid last September, in which Ishiba emerged victorious and assumed the prime ministership the following month.
The snap election was triggered after Ishiba announced on Sunday his decision to step down as party president amid mounting pressure to accept responsibility for the party’s recent electoral losses.
In a historic political blow in July, Japan’s ruling LDP-Komeito coalition lost its majority in the House of Councillors, signaling widespread voter discontent with the government.
This loss followed a similar defeat in the 2024 House of Representatives election, leaving the ruling coalition without a majority in both chambers of parliament — a first occurrence since the LDP’s establishment in 1955.
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