Kishida Not to Challenge Abe in LDP Leadership Race

July 25, 2018

Tokyo- Fumio Kishida, policy affairs chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said Tuesday that he will not run in the upcoming LDP presidential election in September.

"I won't run for the LDP presidency. It will be appropriate to work on a range of political challenges under the leadership of the prime minister and make contributions," Kishida, 60, said at a press conference, suggesting that he will support Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is expected to seek a third term as LDP president.

Kishida's support is expected to help Abe, 63, to take a wide lead in votes by LDP lawmakers in the party leadership poll, sources familiar with the situation said.

Many LDP members now expect the party leadership election to be an effective one-on-one race between Abe and former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba, 61.

Explaining why he will refrain from running in the election, Kishida said he sees the need to support the Abe administration to deal with torrential rain that caused fatal mudslides and floods mainly in western Japan, including his constituency of Hiroshima Prefecture, earlier this month, as well diplomatic issues related to North Korea and the United States. He also cited the triennial election of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament, next summer.

Kishida said he held talks with Abe on Monday to discuss his own political vision and the prime minister's government administration. Kishida also said he called Abe before the press conference on Tuesday to inform the leader of his decision not to run in the election.

Kishida said that in his talks with Abe, there was no discussion about personnel appointments or secret agreement.

He signaled again his readiness to succeed Abe. "Seriously tackling political challenges at hand one by one will pave the way for the future," he said.

For the upcoming LDP leadership race, Abe has won support from the largest intraparty faction, led by veteran lawmaker Hiroyuki Hosoda, the second-largest faction, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and the fifth-largest faction, led by LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai. Abe is from the Hosoda faction.

Now that Kishida, who heads the fourth-largest faction, has expressed his backing for Abe, the prime minister is estimated to have won endorsement from 60 pct of 405 LDP lawmakers.

The LDP will hold its presidential election as Abe's current term of office will expire at the end of September. The poll is expected to be held on Sept. 20.

Abe is unlikely to announce his candidacy until late August, as he plans to focus on responses to the rain disaster, the sources said.

Abe's possible contenders include Ishiba and internal affairs minister Seiko Noda, 57.

Candidates in an LDP leadership election will vie for a total of 810 votes--405 votes of lawmakers and the same number of regional votes to be cast by dues-paying party members and supporters. Jiji Press