The ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) presidential election campaign to pick Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's successor is officially underway. At stake is what policy course the new leader will take in reviewing the party and breaking away from the roughly nine years of politics brought in by the previous Shinzo Abe administration.
The contest is a four-way race between administrative reform minister Taro Kono, former LDP policy chief Fumio Kishida, former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Sanae Takaichi, and LDP Executive Acting Secretary-General Seiko Noda. It is the first LDP leadership election with multiple female candidates.
It is desirable that a diverse range of candidates engage in active debates. Yet the LDP leadership race should not end up merely a contest to pick a new leader who can take the party into the looming House of Representatives election.
Public mistrust of politics is growing amid government setbacks in its coronavirus response. Japan's state of infections shows no sign of abating anytime soon.
As the governing party, the LDP must map out concrete, swiftly achievable COVID-19 countermeasures. As a start, the new leader should acknowledge the Suga administration's failure to prevent the fifth wave of infections and look into what its policy measures lacked.
Relationships between politicians and bureaucrats also need review. Bureaucrats across the Kasumigaseki administrative center intimidated by high-handed political tactics to wield authority over personnel affairs are increasingly currying favor with the administration. Amid this climate, the Finance Ministry tampered with official documents regarding the heavily discounted sale of state land to nationalist school operator Moritomo Gakuen.
To rectify this distortion, a fresh investigation into the Moritomo favoritism allegations against former Prime Minister Abe is essential. If efforts to get to the bottom of the scandal are neglected in consideration of Abe, who has significant influence over the LDP's largest Hosoda faction, politician-bureaucrat relations cannot be normalized.
At issue, too, is how to transform the former Abe administration's Abenomics economic policy mix emphasizing economic growth and efficiency. Vulnerable people are being hit directly by the economic downturns amid the coronavirus pandemic. The gap between rich and poor is only widening.
Another focus is the workings of LDP factions. In last year's LDP leadership poll, mainstream factions appeared to jump on the bandwagon to rally behind Suga, sparking criticism they compromised campaign debate.
This time, a voluntary group of junior and midranking LDP lawmakers has suggested a free vote be allowed in the party election. The confusing race has left intraparty factions unable to finalize their positions, with groups besides the Kishida faction forgoing plans to back a single candidate. A leadership struggle between junior and veteran lawmakers over party management has also become evident.
The new LDP president is elected Sept. 29. It is a full-scale election, votes cast by party members and supporters will have the same total value as LDP Diet members' ballots.
Under the spotlight is what leader the LDP will pick ahead of the House of Representatives election. We urge the candidates to face up to voters by engaging in free and open policy debate.
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