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2018 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election

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Candidate Shinzo Abe Shigeru Ishiba Leader's seat Yamaguchi 4th Tottori 1st LDP MPs 329 (81.84%) 73 (18.16%) Members 224 (55.31%) 181 (44.69%) Total votes 553 (68.53%) 254 (31.47%)

Election results

President before election Shinzo Abe Elected President Shinzo Abe

A presidential election was held on 20 September 2018 to elect the next president of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan for a new 3-year term. Incumbent president Shinzo Abe was running for re-election after a rule change in 2017 that allowed him to run for a third term.

Abe's subsequent victory led to him staying as prime minister for just under two years. In this time, on 22 November 2019, he broke the record for the nation's longest-serving prime ministership previously held by Taro Katsura, who had served three times between 1901 and 1913. He also served the longest uninterrupted term by 24 August 2020, ahead of Eisaku Satō's 2,797 days, before resigning four days later.

Background

Scandals

In March 2018, it was revealed that the Finance Ministry (with finance minister Tarō Asō at its head) had falsified documents presented to the parliament in relation to the Moritomo Gakuen scandal, to remove 14 passages implicating Abe. It has been suggested that the scandal could cost Abe his seat as the Liberal Democratic Party's leader. A Kyodo poll showed the Japanese government popularity's has fallen as low as 30% from 44% in February.

Candidates

Nominated

Candidate(s)		Date of birth	Notable positions	Party faction(s)	District(s)	Announced	Reference(s)
Shinzo Abe		(1954-09-21)21 September 1954 (age 63)	President of the LDP (2006-2007, since 2012) Prime Minister (2006–2007, since 2012) Member of the House of Representatives (since 1993) Chief Cabinet Secretary (2005–2006)	None	Yamaguchi 4th	26 August
Shigeru Ishiba		(1957-02-04)4 February 1957 (age 61)	Member of the House of Representatives (since 1986) Defense Minister (2007–2008) 2008, 2012 LDP leadership candidate	Suigetsukai (Ishiba)	Tottori 1st	1 September

Supporters

Expressed intention but did not have enough supporters for nomination

• Seiko Noda, then-Interior Minister.

• Interior Minister
  Seiko Noda
  (2017–2018)

Speculative

• Tarō Kōno, current Foreign Minister. Son of Yōhei Kōno, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives.
• Tarō Asō, current Finance Minister and former Prime Minister of Japan. Grandson of former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida.
• Shinjiro Koizumi, First Vice Secretary-General of the LDP and son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

• Foreign Minister
  Tarō Kōno
  (2017–2019)
• Finance Minister
  Tarō Asō
  (2012–2021)
• First Vice Secretary-General of the LDP
  Shinjirō Koizumi
  (2017–present)

Declined

• Fumio Kishida, current chair of the LDP Policy Research Council and former Foreign Minister in the Second and Third Abe Cabinet.

• Foreign Minister
  Fumio Kishida
  (2012–2017)

Results

References

1. "Abe could become Japan's longest serving premier". Al Jazeera. 6 March 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
2. "Japan's Shinzo Abe wins ruling party leadership vote". Al Jazeera. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
3. ^ Harding, Robin (12 March 2018). "Japan fake document scandal shakes Abe government". Financial Times.
4. "Abe's popularity falls as document-altering scandal continues".
5. "Abe throws hat into LDP chief race; duel with Ishiba looms". Asahi Shimbun. 26 August 2018. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
6. Ryall, Julian (24 May 2017). "Ambitious Shigeru Ishiba the man to watch as campaign to topple Shinzo Abe begins". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
7. "Ishiba to run for LDP president despite numbers in Abe's favor". Asahi Shimbun. 10 August 2018. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
8. "安倍 晋三 プロフィール｜総裁選2018｜自由民主党". Retrieved 20 September 2018.
9. "石破 茂 プロフィール｜総裁選2018｜自由民主党". Retrieved 20 September 2018.
10. Jiji Press (4 August 2017). "Noda ready to take on Abe in LDP leadership election next year". Japan Times. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
11. ^ "Abe to appoint Foreign Minister Kishida to head LDP Policy Research Council". Mainichi Shimbun. 4 August 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
12. "野田聖子氏が総裁選立候補せず、安倍首相を支持意向". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 26 August 2018. Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
13. Rich, Motoko (17 February 2018). "In Japan, a Liberal Maverick Is Seeking to Lead a Conservative Party". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
14. Reynolds, Isabel; Watanabe, Chisaki (17 January 2018). "Taro Kono's clean energy critique in UAE speech fuels Abe succession talk". Japan Times. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
15. Bossack, Michael MacArthur (5 August 2017). "Abe's Cabinet Reshuffle, Explained". The Diplomat. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
16. Fahey, Rob (22 March 2018). "Who Will Lead Japan after September?". Tokyo Review. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
17. Jiji Press (29 May 2017). "Kishida eyes prime ministership as LDP's Kochi Kai faction celebrates 60th anniversary". Japan Times. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
18. Konno, Shinobu (25 July 2018). "Kishida decides against running in LDP election, will support Abe". Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.

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