The Japanese ruling party will choose a new leader in the sixth exhibition to replace him Fumio Kishida Who announced his resignation in August.
O victor To answer To lead the Liberal Democratic Party, or even Parliament, to become the country's next prime minister. Most analysts expect the new leader to call early elections to ensure the mandate of two electors.
A record number of nine candidates are on the campaign trail, and the dismantling of the usual power structures of the LDP, as a result of a series of corruption scandals, has made the outcome even more difficult to predict.
Many candidates “will assert that we can fight with Trump or we can take on China,” Jeffrey J. Hall, a professor at the University of International Studies in Canada, told AFP. an agency.
But there are significant differences in their approach to these tasks, and in some cases, “we have no hope,” the race remains a “dispute.”
“This is the most unexpected election for the Lib Dems in many years,” Hall said.
The first round of voting begins at 1:00 PM (04:00 GMT), and the final winner will have to go through a group interview around 6:00 PM (09:00 GMT). The competition will also be able to produce the first female or youngest Prime Minister of Japan.
Here are some of the most prominent competitors:
Shigeru Ishiba, 67
Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba is very popular among the general public, but failed four times to secure the position of party leader.
Ishiba's campaign is largely focused on security issues and indicates that she will push for more oversight of Washington's use of its bases in Japan, and also so that Japan has a say in how the United States will be able to use them in this matter. The path of their nuclear weapons in Asia. Other proposals include creating an “Asian NATO.”
This does not mean that he respects the economy, but rather the 67-year-old questioned the maverick tax policy of Banco do Jabao. The former agriculture minister also called for more efforts to combat rural deprivation.
Takeshi Iwaya, an LDP lawmaker who supports Ishiba's candidacy, describes the veteran politician as a man with an “honest and sincere attitude regarding politics.”
Ishiba trained directly at Keio University. He enjoyed making military models, including one of a Soviet aircraft carrier for the visit of the Russian Defense Minister, including trains and 1970s pop idols.
Shinjiro Koizumi, 43 years old
The 43-year-old, the son of popular former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, has presented himself as an influential candidate with the vision and charisma needed to help the party rebuild after recent scandals.
Koizumi was elected to parliament for the first time in 2009 and has proven his business credentials Reconstruction in Eastern Japan After the devastating earthquake in 2011. He was Minister of Environment in the government of Shinzo Abe, who was Assassinated In July 2022, he will be like his successor, Yoshihide Suga.
Koizumi supports the development of renewable energies. Exceptionally, you also have a paternity license when two children are born.
The promise of early elections will win the party leadership.
“With the rapid decline in the birth rate and population growth, we need leaders with sensitivity and sensibility that can capture diverse voices, including youth and women,” said Ayuko Kato, a LDP lawmaker who supports Koizumi's candidacy.
Koizumi studied economics at Kanto Gakuin University and completed his master's degree at Columbia University. He also works at the think tank of the US Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
He enjoyed surfing and spent a day at the beach in July with the US Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel.
Sanae Takaishi, 63
Sanae Takaishi, whose hero is former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, will be able to follow in the footsteps of her idol and become her country's first female Prime Minister.
An outspoken nationalist who was popular among the conservative faction of the LDP, Takaichi was close to Abe, whose supporters within the party remained strong.
He sparked controversy by promising to visit Yasukuni Shrine, which honors those killed in the Japanese War, including many convicted war criminals.
Japanese leaders stopped going to the shrine in 2013, due to criticism from the United States and condemnation from South Korea, China and other countries, which see it as a symbol of Japanese aggression during the war.
The 63-year-old, who is currently Secretary of State for Economic Security, also supports strong military and nuclear force against social change in tasks such as same-sex marriage.
She had previously agreed to take over the leadership in 2021, when she received Abe's support.
Takaishi graduated from the Matsushita Institute of Government and Administration.
Taro Kono, 61
Taro Kono, currently Minister of Digital Transformation, is an experienced and outspoken reformer who also has leadership in 2021.
Kono held several ministerial-level positions, including foreign affairs and defence, and was seen as one of the most liberal candidates. The 61-year-old has amassed 2.5 million followers on social media platform X.
Confronting nuclear energy after the 2011 earthquake Nuclear disasterSince then, it has softened its profile amid growing power demand from AI data centers.
Kono was elected to parliament for the first time in 1996. It was formed at Georgetown University, USA.
Yuko Kamikawa, 71 years old
Current Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa was the latest to join the presidential race, announcing her candidacy on September 11.
She is serving her seventh term in the House of Representatives, and was nominated for her first cabinet position in 2006, succeeding Abe.
The 71-year-old has received praise for her work on the international stage, including on her visit to Kiev, but she is supposedly having difficulty securing the support she needs to run as a candidate.
Kamikawa studied at the University of Tokyo and then studied public policy at Harvard University. This is his first nomination to lead the Liberal Democratic Party.
Hayashi Yoshimasa, 63 years old
Yoshimasa, currently Kishida's chief cabinet secretary, is a veteran politician participating in his second campaign for the party leadership.
It is housed in six cabinets containing pastes defending economic policy, culture and foreign relations.
It was directly founded by the University of Tokyo, and also studied public policy at Harvard University.
