Japan's LDP factions to battle for PM post

Ex-premier Hashimoto runs with the backing of LDP's largest faction

In this story: Dark horses Short-term player? RELATED STORIES, SITES

TOKYO, Japan - The two top factions in Japan's dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are gearing up for a two-week long campaign for the party presidency.

Political watchers believe the contest will be between former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, who has the backing of the party's largest bloc, and Junichiro Kuizumi, who is being fielded by the LDP's number two faction.

Both were expected to register their candidacies on Thursday, when the party formally accepts applications, analysts said.

In order to attract votes, Hashimoto, 63, will likely have to tone down his past advocacy of fiscal reforms aimed at trimming Japan's huge public debt to ensure victory.

Koizumi, 59, is also considering a policy shift. He has long believed that state postal services should be privatized, a stand that has turned powerful political voices in the party against him.

Dark horses

Dark horse candidates have also been mulling their options, among them the current Economics Minister Taro Aso.

He's been trying to boost his profile ever since he accompanied Mori to Washington for a summit with President George W. Bush.

That summit had that ended up focusing heavily on Japan's economic woes and problems at its bad-debt-laden banks.

Party powerbrokers are believed keen to avoid the divisiveness that a one-on-one race might spark, ahead of the Upper House election, when party unity will be vital.

"In terms of the number of candidates, the more the better," public broadcaster NHK quoted LDP Secretary-General Makoto Koga as saying.

Short-term player?

Whatever the outcome, the winner is almost certain to succeed Yoshiro Mori as prime minister by virtue of the LDP-led coalition's majority in parliament's powerful Lower House.

But how long the victor holds the post of prime minister depends on the outcome of the Upper House elections, which takes place in July.

"It (the party election) probably doesn't matter a whole lot, given the fact that what happens in the Upper House election will have a greater impact," said HSBC senior economist Peter Morgan.

A recent media poll released by NHK television reports that 60.8 percent of the voting public don't want to see a political party dominating Japan, a sentiment that could result in lost seats for the LDP.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Campaign begin for Mori's successor
April 8, 2001
Mori to resign, but his successor unknown
March 6, 2001

Liberal Democratic Party
Japan's Prime Minister Office

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.