Abe says to follow LDP rule banning 4th term as party chief

March 14, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday that he will follow a current Liberal Democratic Party rule preventing him from serving yet another term as leader of the governing party.

"A fourth straight term (as LDP president) is banned under the party constitution," Abe said at a House of Councillors Budget Committee meeting. "I will certainly follow the rule."

"I was just given a third term (last September), so I hope to put all my energy to produce results during my last term," he said.

Abe was responding to a question from Toranosuke Katayama, coleader of Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), who argued that the LDP constitution can be revised, when needed, with the consent of party members.

Recently, senior LDP members including party Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai and General Council head Katsunobu Kato have mentioned the possibility of Abe having a fourth three-year term in a row as LDP leader and staying on as prime minister.

On Wednesday, Abe told the same Upper House committee that he turns 65 this year but is still very eager to continue working, in response to a question about the employment of elderly people at private companies. Jiji Press