Takaichi-Backed Candidate’s Election Loss Stirs Worries in LDP

Tokyo, March 9 (Jiji Press)–Some in Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party are wary of the possible impact of the loss of a candidate backed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Sunday’s gubernatorial election in the central prefecture of Ishikawa. The election drew attention as the first gubernatorial contest since Takaichi’s LDP scored a historic victory in last month’s House of Representatives poll. The incumbent governor, Hiroshi Hase, was endorsed by the LDP and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party. In support of Hase, Takaichi traveled from Tokyo to Kanazawa, the prefecture’s capital, on Feb. 28, despite a report of the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran. Other senior and well-known LDP members also visited Ishikawa to campaign for Hase. However, Hase was defeated by Yukiyoshi Yamano, an independent and a former mayor of Kanazawa. Some LDP members had been cautious about Takaichi’s visit to Ishikawa, concerned that a loss by Hase after the prime minister’s visit would not be good for the party. Following Hase’s defeat, a senior LDP official said that Takaichi “shouldn’t have traveled (to Ishikawa).” At a meeting of LDP executives on Monday, Takaichi described the Ishikawa election result as “disappointing.” The LDP is now working to manage the fallout. At a press conference, LDP Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki emphasized that the election had not been a battle between ruling and opposition candidates. An LDP executive said that the election result reflected regional circumstances, adding, “There is no impact (on national politics).” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]