Koizumi Leads, Takaichi and Hayashi Follow in LDP Race: Jiji Survey

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–Japanese agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi remains the frontrunner in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership race, followed by former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, a Jiji Press survey showed Wednesday. Koizumi is the most popular candidate among LDP lawmakers, with Hayashi in second place and Takaichi in third. Among rank-and-file party members and supporters, Takaichi and Koizumi are the top two favorites. None of the five candidates in Saturday’s party election is expected to win an outright majority, so the race will likely head to a runoff. In the election, a total of 590 votes are up for grabs, with the party’s 295 lawmakers holding one vote each and the remaining 295 votes coming from party members and supporters. The two candidates with the most votes will advance to a runoff, in which the number of party members’ votes will be reduced to 47, each from one of the party’s 47 prefectural chapters. The latest survey was conducted via interviews and questionnaires through Wednesday. The situation remains fluid, with over 60 party lawmakers still undecided about whom to vote for. Koizumi has won broad support from over 70 lawmakers, including those in an intraparty faction led by former Prime Minister Taro Aso, former members of a now-defunct faction once led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and those who were not affiliated to any faction. A meeting of his campaign on Wednesday was attended by 96 lawmakers, including proxies, according to his camp. Hayashi has the support of around 55 lawmakers, including those who belonged to a faction led by former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in which he served in a senior role, and who are members of the House of Councillors, to which he was elected five times before switching to the House of Representatives. A senior member of the Hayashi camp showed confidence that over 60 lawmakers will vote for the him. The chief cabinet secretary has said that he would continue the policies of outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and has won support from several cabinet ministers, including Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. Takaichi is backed by over 40 lawmakers, mainly from the conservative wing of the party, but has struggled to expand her support. The other two candidates–former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi and former LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi–are each supported by around 30 lawmakers. Meanwhile, Takaichi and Koizumi are believed to have the support of roughly 30 pct of rank-and-file members each, followed by Hayashi. Overall, Koizumi appears to have the best chance of advancing to the runoff, with Takaichi and Hayashi in a close race for the final spot. Still, the Koizumi camp has drawn criticism for its reported request for online comments touting him. This may impact the race. Rank-and-file members have until Friday to cast their votes. The five candidates plan to intensify efforts to lobby undecided lawmakers in the final spurt. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]