Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi officially announced on September 3 that he will run for the presidency of the Liberal Democratic Party. He emphasized his experience in previous roles such as Defense Minister and stated that he will “make good use of the experience and achievements accumulated so far to serve the country.” This is his second attempt at the top position in nearly 30 years of political career.
The number of potential candidates for the presidency (party leader) of the Liberal Democratic Party has exceeded 10 since the current president and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida confirmed his withdrawal. The election is scheduled to be announced on September 12, with voting to take place on the 27th. As the Liberal Democratic Party currently holds a majority of seats in both the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives, the new party leader will be designated as the new Prime Minister in the Prime Ministerial election.
On September 3, Yoshimasa Hayashi held a press conference in the parliament building to announce his candidacy. Regarding the factional political donation scandal that recently broke out within the party, he mentioned that it has “seriously damaged the trust” and stated his intention to do his best to regain public trust in the party while finding policies that resonate with the people.
Yoshimasa Hayashi previously ran for the presidency of the Liberal Democratic Party in September 2012 during the party’s time in the opposition, making this his second attempt.
Within the faction “Kishida Faction,” which has already applied for dissolution within the party, Hayashi held the position of “Chairman,” second only to the leader. He also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chief Cabinet Secretary during Kishida’s administration, consistently supporting Kishida. It is anticipated that Hayashi will continue Kishida’s policies in diplomacy, economy, and finance.
Hayashi originally intended to announce his candidacy for the presidency in late August but postponed it due to the impact of Typhoon Chan-chan. As the Chief Cabinet Secretary responsible for government crisis management, he prioritized preparing for the typhoon.
Yoshimasa Hayashi represents the 3rd district of Yamaguchi Prefecture in the House of Representatives. After graduating from the University of Tokyo, he worked at Mitsui & Co. before being elected as a member of the House of Councillors in 1995. He successfully transitioned to a member of the House of Representatives after serving five terms as a member of the House of Councillors.
(Source: Central News Agency)