Koizumi to Officially Announce Bid for LDP Leadership Sat.

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi will hold a press conference on Saturday to announce his candidacy in the Oct. 4 leadership election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, informed sources said Friday. The 44-year-old minister plans to explain his basic stance on economic policies, including measures against soaring prices, party reform, and relations with opposition parties. It will be Koizumi’s second bid for the party presidency, following his run last year. The press conference is set to take place in Tokyo from 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Meanwhile, former Foreign Minister Taro Kono said Friday that he will not run in the race and will instead support Koizumi. “I think Koizumi is the best person to lead the LDP’s transformative fresh start,” he explained to the press in Tokyo. Kono said that Koizumi has “the guts to actively tackle various difficult situations” and revealed that he has already conveyed his support to Koizumi directly. “I am eager to do anything I can,” Kono emphasized. Koizumi said at a press conference the same day that Kono’s support is “very encouraging,” noting that the two have worked on various policies together as “reform-minded comrades.” Five candidates including Koizumi are set to run in the leadership election to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The other four are former economic security ministers Takayuki Kobayashi, 50, and Sanae Takaichi, 64, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, 64, and former LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, 69. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]