It’s no longer a change of government… The tragic feeling of the Democratic Party representative election, swallowed up by the “Shinjiro Theater”, the true feelings revealed by the members Why the candidates are only “old names” and “unknown names” | PRESIDENT Online (president online)

What will happen to Japanese politics from now on? Journalist Masaru Shiromoto said: “Unlike the presidential election of the Liberal Democratic Party, the Rikmin representative election lacks enthusiasm. The candidates are all ‘old names’, which makes it ‘far away’ rather than ‘on.’ on the eve of a change of government.” “We are afraid that we will end up just waiting for the dawn.” Regardless of the faction they belong to, many members of the Democratic Party express their anxiety. What is needed for such a representative selection?

Photo = Jiji Photo Print

Participation in the debate on the representative candidates of the Constitutional Democratic Party hosted by the Japan National Press Club and response to a photo report (from left) former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, former Representative Yukio Edano, Representative Kenta Izumi and Harumi Yoshida, September 7, 2024, Tokyo Chiyoda-ku, Miyako[Fotografia rappresentativa]

Representative elections of the Constitutional Democratic Party full of candidates

“I’m using my old name, so it won’t work.”

Former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said this in a Showa-era hit song in the elections for the representative of the Constitutional Democratic Party, but current congressman Kenta Izumi, a former representative of the party, ran on September 23, the day of the vote. The lineup consisted of Yukio Edano, the founder of the company, Noda himself, who for some reason used his old name, and Harumi Yoshida, who had only been elected once and had an unknown name and was not very well known. Ta.

Since the beginning of August, two heavyweights, Edano, the party’s founder and former chairman, and Noda, a former prime minister, have announced their candidacies, but Izumi, the current leader, only received the nominations late at night, two days before the announcement, his own candidacy was in jeopardy.

“I do not support Izumi, but it would be too much damage to the party if the current representative gave up without obtaining the nomination.”

Some members of Congress have become nominators out of concern.

Although Yoshida has only been elected once, the road has not been easy. Yoshida joined Edano and Noda in announcing his intention to run with the support of young members of parliament, but he too had difficulty securing a candidate, and on the day of the announcement, Kenji Eda, who was also considering running, announced, “It is strange that there are no female candidates in the representative election of the Ritsumeikan Democratic Party, which advocates gender equality,” he said, and at the last minute he recommended Yoshida, and in the end they were able to complete the list. I was able to submit my candidacy just five minutes before the deadline for nominations.

Even the incumbent party representative can barely cope.

The 20 councilors of the Liberal Democratic Party themselves are too high a hurdle for the Liberal Democratic Party, which has about a third of the members of the Liberal Democratic Party. However, the fact that only heavyweights like Edano and Noda manage to get nominations, and that even incumbents are fighting to get them until the last moment, testifies to the current difficult situation in which this party finds itself.

The Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential elections, which are taking place at the same time, are chaotic in another sense as well.

The Liberal Democratic Party has lost public trust over its shady dealings with the former Unification Church and the Abe faction scandal, and Cabinet Secretary Fumio Kishida’s approval ratings have declined due to repeated scandals.

The LDP continues to suffer defeats in by-elections and local elections for the House of Representatives, and voices within the Liberal Democratic Party are shouting, “If things continue like this, we will lose the House of Representatives election and change the government.” and “Kishida will not be able to participate in the election.” Kishida was actually forced to resign after his partner Komeito left the party.