«موتيجي» أول المرشحين.. اليابان يحدد خليفة «إيشيبا» في 4 أكتوبر القادم

The resigned Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has set October 4 as the date for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to hold an emergency election to choose a new party leader.

The TBS channel reported today (Monday) that a senior official said: "Former Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has become the first member of the ruling party to announce his candidacy to succeed Ishiba, and the Liberal Democratic Party is expected to discuss the format and schedule for the leadership race."

Admission of Failure

Ishiba, who ended his short term yesterday (Sunday), confirmed that he bears responsibility for the painful elections in the House of Councillors (the upper house of parliament) last July, which saw his ruling coalition lose its majority amid voter anger over rising living costs, stating that he believes now is the right time to step down, after negotiations on U.S. tariff measures made significant progress, and that it is time to hand over power to his successor.

The Liberal Democratic Party was scheduled to vote today on whether to advance the party leadership election by two years, in a move that increasingly appeared to be turning into a vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister, with local media polls showing growing support for early elections, which prompted Ishiba to resign to avoid a sharp division within the party.

The party's Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriama stated that it is important to explore ways to allow members to participate directly.

First Candidate

Former Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi announced today his candidacy, affirming that he wants to dedicate himself to his country by leveraging the experience he has gained in the party and the government.

Motegi told reporters outside the parliament building that Ishiba made a difficult decision to avoid a split in the party, adding that he would like to express his respect for what the Prime Minister has achieved, including the progress made in tariff negotiations between Japan and the United States.

Motegi pointed out that his party is currently facing the most serious crisis since its establishment, and that it is essential to build a new Liberal Democratic Party by uniting ranks, emphasizing the need to push Japan forward by solving difficult problems both domestically and internationally.

The former Foreign Minister acknowledged the existence of tough challenges, saying: "Anyone who becomes Prime Minister and party leader will face significant difficulties in overcoming the current challenges; however, I have a desire to commit to working for my country."

He indicated that he is capable and confident of gathering the necessary 20 endorsements to run in the party leadership election.