Democratic Party (Japan) leadership election, 2011
Encyclopedia
The 15th Democratic Party of Japan
presidential election took place on August 29, 2011. The election chose Yoshihiko Noda
as the successor to Naoto Kan
as president of the Democratic Party (Minshutō) of Japan; the designation of the new party president as prime minister in the Diet is planned for August 30 – Kan will remain acting prime minister until his successor's formal appointment ceremony with the Emperor. In June 2011, Kan had announced to resign once three conditions have been met: passage of the second extra budget for fiscal 2011, passage of a bill to promote the use renewable energy and passage of a bill to issue new debt covering bonds. The extra budget was passed in July; after an agreement with the opposition was struck on reforming the child allowance introduced by the Democratic Party, the renewable energies bill and the bond ceiling increase passed through the Diet (including the opposition controlled House of Councillors) on August 26, 2011.
The official campaign period started on August 27. Issues in the campaign include the question of whether tax increases in the current election period are necessary to finance the budget deficit and the reconstruction after the Great Eastern Japanese Earthquake of March 2011, the issue of possible revisions to the party’s manifesto from the 2009 election and a possible Grand Coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party and Kōmeitō as proposed by Yoshihiko Noda early in the campaign.
On August 27, the five candidates publicly responded to questions on current political issues in a nationally televised "joint press conference" at the Japan National Press Club. On August 28, the candidates debated on NHK's Sunday morning talk show Nichiyō Tōron.
Several other Democratic Representatives had indicated their intention to run, were exploring candidacies or were considered likely candidates. They included—
Any candidacy needs the support of at least 20 Democratic members of the Diet. As the 2011 election is a preliminary election due to a resignation, no primaries among party members and supporters will be held and prefectural and municipal assembly members will not take part in the vote. Only the currently 398 (excludes nine suspended members) Democratic Diet members are eligible to vote. If no candidate receives a majority in the first round, a runoff vote takes place between the top two candidates. The new party president will serve the remainder of Naoto Kan’s regular term, until autumn 2012, when a regular DPJ presidential election will be required. The general assembly of Democratic members of both houses of the Diet convenes in the New Ōtani Hotel in the Western centre of Tokyo (Chiyoda
, Eastern Tokyo
).
In the first round of voting, Ozawa's favored candidate Kaieda won, but the losing candidates rallied behind Noda in the second, runoff vote.
Sources: NHK World
Democratic Party of Japan
The is a political party in Japan founded in 1998 by the merger of several opposition parties. Its socially liberal platform is generally considered center-left in the Japanese political spectrum...
presidential election took place on August 29, 2011. The election chose Yoshihiko Noda
Yoshihiko Noda
is the current Prime Minister of Japan, a member of the Democratic Party of Japan , and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet...
as the successor to Naoto Kan
Naoto Kan
is a Japanese politician, and former Prime Minister of Japan. In June 2010, then-Finance Minister Kan was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan and designated Prime Minister by the Diet to succeed Yukio Hatoyama. On 26 August 2011, Kan announced his resignation...
as president of the Democratic Party (Minshutō) of Japan; the designation of the new party president as prime minister in the Diet is planned for August 30 – Kan will remain acting prime minister until his successor's formal appointment ceremony with the Emperor. In June 2011, Kan had announced to resign once three conditions have been met: passage of the second extra budget for fiscal 2011, passage of a bill to promote the use renewable energy and passage of a bill to issue new debt covering bonds. The extra budget was passed in July; after an agreement with the opposition was struck on reforming the child allowance introduced by the Democratic Party, the renewable energies bill and the bond ceiling increase passed through the Diet (including the opposition controlled House of Councillors) on August 26, 2011.
The official campaign period started on August 27. Issues in the campaign include the question of whether tax increases in the current election period are necessary to finance the budget deficit and the reconstruction after the Great Eastern Japanese Earthquake of March 2011, the issue of possible revisions to the party’s manifesto from the 2009 election and a possible Grand Coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party and Kōmeitō as proposed by Yoshihiko Noda early in the campaign.
Candidates
There were five candidates for party president Three, Kano, Mabuchi and Maehara, were eliminated in the first round of voting.- Yoshihiko NodaYoshihiko Nodais the current Prime Minister of Japan, a member of the Democratic Party of Japan , and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet...
, Noda group, current finance minister in the Kan cabinet, already ran in 2002 for the party presidency. - Seiji MaeharaSeiji Maeharais a Japanese politician who has been a member of the House of Representatives of Japan since 1993. He was the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan from 2005 to 2006, and later served as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Minister of Foreign Affairs under the cabinets...
, Maehara group, former foreign minister in the Hatoyama and Kan cabinets and Democratic party president from 2005 to 2006. - Banri KaiedaBanri Kaiedais a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan. He was named after , a Japanese translational name for the Great Wall of China, and later began learning the Chinese language after entering Keio University....
, Hatoyama group, trade and industry minister in the Kan cabinet, expected to be backed by Ichirō OzawaIchiro Ozawais a Japanese politician. Formerly a chief secretary of the Liberal Democratic Party , he later defected from the LDP. He was the president of Japan's main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan , from 2006 until May 2009, when he resigned over a fund scandal, and secretary general of the...
. - Sumio MabuchiSumio Mabuchiis a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet . A native of Nara, Nara and graduate of Yokohama National University, he was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2003 after an unsuccessful run in 2000.On...
, no faction, but expected to be supported by some of Kan's intraparty opponents, former transportation and infrastructure minister in the Kan cabinet. - Michihiko Kano, Hata group, agriculture minister in the Kan cabinet.
On August 27, the five candidates publicly responded to questions on current political issues in a nationally televised "joint press conference" at the Japan National Press Club. On August 28, the candidates debated on NHK's Sunday morning talk show Nichiyō Tōron.
Several other Democratic Representatives had indicated their intention to run, were exploring candidacies or were considered likely candidates. They included—
- Sakihito OzawaSakihito Ozawais a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet . A native of Kofu, Yamanashi, he graduated from the University of Tokyo and received a master's degree in political science from Saitama University...
, Hatoyama group, former environment minister in the Hatoyama and Kan cabinets. - Shinji TarutokoShinji Tarutokois a Japanese democratic politician. In June 2010, he declared his intention to run against Naoto Kan for the leadership of the Democratic Party of Japan; had he won, he would have become the next Prime Minister of Japan...
, Noda group, who ran for the party presidency against Kan with support from parts of the Ozawa group in 2010. - Some members of the Yokomichi group (former Japanese Socialist Party) wanted to draft a member of their faction, Hirotaka AkamatsuHirotaka Akamatsuis a Japanese politician of the Democratic Party of Japan, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet .- Life :A native of Nagoya, Aichi and graduate of Waseda University, he was elected to the first of his three terms in the assembly of Aichi Prefecture and then to the House of...
, former agriculture minister in the Hatoyama cabinet, as their candidate for party president. The Kawabata group (former Democratic Socialist PartyDemocratic Socialist Party (Japan)The was a social democratic party in Japan.- History :The Democratic Socialist Party was established in 1960 by a breakaway group of the Japan Socialist Party. It was made up of many members of the former Rightist Socialist Party of Japan, a moderate social-democratic faction that existed...
) was also exploring whether to nominate a candidate from their own ranks.
Any candidacy needs the support of at least 20 Democratic members of the Diet. As the 2011 election is a preliminary election due to a resignation, no primaries among party members and supporters will be held and prefectural and municipal assembly members will not take part in the vote. Only the currently 398 (excludes nine suspended members) Democratic Diet members are eligible to vote. If no candidate receives a majority in the first round, a runoff vote takes place between the top two candidates. The new party president will serve the remainder of Naoto Kan’s regular term, until autumn 2012, when a regular DPJ presidential election will be required. The general assembly of Democratic members of both houses of the Diet convenes in the New Ōtani Hotel in the Western centre of Tokyo (Chiyoda
Chiyoda, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards in central Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Chiyoda ward. As of October 2007, the ward has an estimated population of 45,543 and a population density of 3,912 people per km², making it by far the least populated of the special wards...
, Eastern Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
).
Results
| Candidates | Round 1 Votes | Round 2 Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Banri Kaieda | 143 | 177 |
| Yoshihiko Noda | 102 | 213 |
| Seiji Maehara | 74 | |
| Michihiko Kano | 52 | |
| Sumio Mabuchi | 24 |
In the first round of voting, Ozawa's favored candidate Kaieda won, but the losing candidates rallied behind Noda in the second, runoff vote.
Sources: NHK World
Weblinks
- Democratic Party: Past elections for the party presidency
- The Senkyo, election dictionary: Democratic Party presidential elections