Japan ex-defense minister to challenge Abe as party chief

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Japan's former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba officially declared his candidacy on Friday for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) leadership race next month.

Ishiba, 61, a lower house member, has in the past been outspoken about Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his policies and this will be the third time the veteran politician will attempt to win the ruling party's top post.

While Abe is yet to officially declare his candidacy, he is widely believed to win his third three-year term as the party president and in doing so will also become the longest-serving prime minister.

Former Japanese defence minister and member of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Shigeru Ishiba addresses a press conference in Tokyo on August 10, 2018. /VCG Photo

But Ishiba, who has the support of a powerful LDP faction and has held key posts in the party including defense minister, LDP secretary general and minister in charge of revitalizing local economies, may be able to take advantage of slumping support for Abe and his Cabinet following a slew of scandals involving cronyism and document tampering.

While many believe Abe's success is a foregone conclusion, some believe that Ishiba's "honest and fair" politics could likely be a refreshing change from Abe who has long been caught up in cronyism scandals.

Ishiba has also been a vocal critic of Abe's plans to revise Japan's constitution. Ishiba, in fact, drafted his own constitution revision proposal in February.

While he acknowledges some of the positives of "Abenomics", Ishiba is a proponent of introducing additional methods to bolster regional economies.

In light of the government's tardy handling of a spate of recent natural disasters, Ishiba has proposed to set up a new ministry dedicated to disaster prevention.

The LDP presidential election, which will also effectively decide Japan's next prime minister, is slated for September 20, with official campaigning starting on September 7.

Source(s): AFP ,Xinhua News Agency