Komeito Leader Yamaguchi Seen Extending His Tenure Further

August 21, 2018

Tokyo- Natsuo Yamaguchi is highly likely to be reappointed as head of Komeito at a party convention on Sept. 30, according to informed sources.

Yamaguchi, already the longest-serving Komeito chief, would be allowed to extend his tenure at the plenary gathering because what the junior coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party needs before next year's unified local elections and House of Councillors poll is stability, the sources said.

Yamaguchi came to head Komeito in September 2009, the month after the party and the LDP fell from power following their humiliating defeat in a House of Representatives election. His current term is set to end in September.

Some party members are calling for a leadership transition to younger generations. But many others believe that there is no one but Yamaguchi, 66, who can lead the party ahead of the forthcoming local contests and Upper House election, in which he is seeking another six-year term as its member and has already secured Komeito's endorsement as an official candidate despite an intraparty rule setting the retirement age for lawmakers at 69.

During his tenure, Komeito has been widely viewed as failing to show its presence in the ruling coalition. But Yamaguchi has produced some results, including the coalition's decision to introduce reduced rates when the consumption tax is raised from 8 pct to 10 pct in October 2019.

Meanwhile, a focal point in the possible reshuffle of the party's executive team is whether Secretary-General Yoshihisa Inoue will stay in the No. 2 position in the party.

Since he took office in 2009, Yamaguchi has been working with Inoue, who has strong connections with Buddhist group Soka Gakkai, the party's main supporter.

If Inoue is named to become acting party leader or fill a different post, new secretary-general could be Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Keiichi Ishii, 60, acting secretary-general Tetsuo Saito, 66, or deputy party chief Kazuo Kitagawa, 65, the sources said.

At a press conference on Aug. 8, Yamaguchi suggested that he may appoint younger party members to key party posts.

"I've seen young and mid-career members improving," he said. "Circumstances are beginning to change from the last leadership renewal." Jiji Press