Tokyo [Japan], September 8 : Just a day after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba decided to step down as president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), senior party leaders have thrown their hats into the ring in the race to become his successor.
Kyodo News reported on Monday that former foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi have both declared their intention to run for the position.
Expressing his commitment to serve by drawing on his extensive experience in both government and party roles, Motegi, 69, told reporters he would soon hold a press conference to lay out his plans for the leadership contest formally, Kyodo News reported.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, also a former foreign minister, is likewise preparing to launch a leadership bid, according to sources close to the matter, Kyodo News reported.
Hayashi, 64, said he would consult with key supporters from his previous leadership attempt.
On Sunday, Ishiba announced his resignation as the president of the LDP on X, bowing to internal pressure after the party's poor showing in July's House of Councillors (Upper House of Japanese Parliament) election.
He also lost the majority in the lower house of the parliament back in 2024.
According to Kyodo News, both Motegi and Hayashi contested the LDP's September 2024 leadership race, which Ishiba ultimately won. Hayashi placed fourth among nine candidates, while Motegi came in sixth.
At a party meeting that was initially expected to determine whether to call a snap leadership vote, Ishiba officially informed members of his intention to resign. In response, the LDP suspended the vote and began speeding up preparations for the upcoming leadership election.
According to Kyodo News, other potential candidates include Sanae Takaichi, the former minister for economic security and a close ally of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Takaichi, known for her conservative views on national security, was the runner-up to Ishiba in the previous leadership run-off.
Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, is also being discussed as a likely contender.
Despite the growing number of candidates, Ishiba acknowledged that it was natural for Cabinet members to prepare their own leadership campaigns. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, one of Ishiba's key allies, expressed disappointment over the resignation, admitting he lacked the influence needed to help the prime minister weather the internal crisis, Kyodo News reported.
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