INTERVIEW: Kobayashi Calls for LDP Generational Change

(6th para should have read “… calling …,” instead of as sent) Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Takayuki Kobayashi, Japan’s former economic security minister running in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership race, emphasizes his party’s need for a generational change and a shift away from factional politics. “It’s easier to win the hearts of working generations if we who are living in the same times come to the forefront,” Kobayashi said in a recent interview. Speaking about personnel management within the LDP, Kobayashi vowed to make fair assessments of individual lawmakers’ abilities and achievements regardless of their career lengths and ages by establishing a multifaceted evaluation system. “I will scrap old factional politics-based appointments and other unnecessary practices,” he stressed. As a means to enhance restrictions on political donations from companies and groups, Kobayashi mentioned an acceptance ban on local chapters that do not file funds reports online. But at the same time, he said he will “listen carefully to opinions from party members on this issue” if he is elected LDP president on Saturday. Kobayashi has been calling for boosting the country’s defense outlays to more than 2 pct of its gross domestic product. In the interview, he said it is “politically irresponsible not to make necessary preparations due to a lack of permanent funding sources.” “The government, for its part, should review subsidies and special tax measures to squeeze out money, if necessary,” he went on to say. Furthermore, Kobayashi expressed willingness to ease Japan’s regulations on overseas defense equipment transfers so the country “can contribute to the world.” Meanwhile, the LDP leader hopeful pledged to tighten control of real estate acquisitions by foreigners, by expanding the scope of legally regulated properties with national security significance. Kobayashi stopped short of vowing to introduce a bill to set up a disaster management agency during next year’s regular legislative session, only saying he will let preparatory work progress toward the session. Asked about assistance for low-income citizens, he reiterated that the middle class should be the primary focus of political support. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]