Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is set to elect a new leader on Friday, following the departure of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. This election will determine the head of a party that has held power for most of the last seventy years.
Voting Process Explained
After two weeks of campaigning and debates across the nation, nine candidates will gather at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo for the crucial vote. With the party holding a majority in parliament, the new leader will automatically become the next prime minister.
In the initial round, LDP lawmakers will cast a total of 368 votes, while an equal number of votes will come from rank-and-file members who gathered on Thursday. The LDP reported having 1.13 million registered members during the 2021 leadership election, as stated on its website.
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A candidate needs a simple majority to become the party leader. If no candidate achieves this, a runoff will occur between the top two contenders.
Details of the Second Round
In the second round, lawmakers will still cast one vote each, but the rank-and-file members’ influence will decrease to 47 votes, corresponding to Japan’s prefectures. In the unlikely event of a tie, the winner will be determined by a lottery, a scenario that has never occurred in a leadership election but was utilized in 2010 for a different party position.
Transition of Power
Following the party vote, Kishida and his cabinet members are expected to resign, likely on Monday. Parliament will convene to officially name the new party leader, who will then announce their cabinet and appoint key LDP officials.
The incoming prime minister may also call for a snap general election to secure a national mandate. One prominent candidate, Shinjiro Koizumi, has indicated plans to do so, with such elections potentially taking place as early as October 27, according to media reports.
(INCLUDES INPUTS FROM ONLINE SOURCES)
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