Japan's LDP candidates contend to regain trust

An important need of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is how to regain public trust as a record nine candidates debate their prospects for the party's leadership, analysts said.

During a public debate at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Saturday, the nine candidates shared their views on party reforms, addressing political funding controversies, economic policy and social security, among other topics.

At the start of the debate, the candidates held up boards showing the key message they wanted to convey. Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi displayed "Economic Growth," former Economic Security Minister Takayuki Kobayashi showed "A Nation Leading the World," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi wrote "Economic Revival You Can Feel," former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi presented "Political Reform," Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa emphasized "A New Japan Where No One is Left Behind", former Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato displayed "Doubling National Income," Digital Minister Taro Kono emphasized "Achievements in Reform: Passion and Speed," former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba presented "Safety and Security for Everyone," and current LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi displayed "Promoting a 'Zero Tax Increase' Policy."

During the two-hour debate, candidates first chose opponents to engage in discussion, followed by a Q&A session hosted by the Japan National Press Club.

The LDP leadership election was officially announced on Thursday. With a 15-day campaign period, the longest since the current party presidential election rules were adopted in 1995, the goal is to create more opportunities for debate and help the party recover from the recent political funding scandal. Voting and ballot counting will be held on Sept 27, when the new party leader will be selected.

Kazuyuki Hamada, a scholar of international political economy and former parliamentary vice-minister for foreign affairs of Japan, noted the candidates are once again rehashing policies that have been discussed for the past 30 years: income doubling, controlling inflation, labor market reform, reducing inequality, supporting strategic industries, regional revitalization, deregulation and peace diplomacy.

"Japan's outstanding government debt has now surpassed 1,000 trillion yen ($7.1 trillion), signaling a potential fiscal collapse. Without confronting the difficult reforms that involve painful budget cuts, this party leadership election — filled with empty promises — risks accelerating Japan's decline," he said.

At the beginning of the debate, Koizumi expressed his commitment to political reform, stressing that the LDP leadership election is fundamentally about whether the party can truly change and who can lead that transformation.

"We will eliminate the policy activity expenses set for disclosure in 10 years, as they lack transparency.… Without these reforms, the LDP cannot advance politics or regain public trust," he said.

Challenging task

Restoring public trust in politics appears to be an extremely challenging task. "On the surface, they pledge to 'reinvent the LDP' or 'put an end to money politics' with slogans that sound appealing, but if they were truly concerned or motivated, why haven't they done anything about it until now?" Hamada asked.

The candidates must also clearly outline their vision for Japan's future, particularly in addressing domestic issues, said Noriyuki Kawamura, emeritus professor at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies. The public has two primary expectations: improving the social welfare system and tackling income inequality, Kawamura said.

In the past year or two, inflation has become a pressing issue. With more than one-third of Japan's population reliant on pensions, many are struggling to cope with rising prices, Kawamura explained.

Additionally, Japan's adherence to neoliberal policies over the past 20 years has created a stark divide between regular and non-regular employees. There are now nearly 20 million non-regular workers in Japan, whose income is less than half that of regular employees and who are treated much less favorably in various ways, he said.

jiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn