LDP panel to decide Wednesday on process on early party leader poll

After the LDP compiles an assessment report on last month's House of Councillors election as early as Sept. 2, the party's presidential election administration commission plans to ask party lawmakers and prefectural chapter representatives to fill out a survey with their names and express their support for or opposition to an early leadership poll.

A focal point is whether the names of LDP members calling for an early election will be announced. An early LDP leadership election will virtually be a demand for the resignation of Prime Minister and LDP President Shigeru Ishiba.

In the July 20 Upper House election, the ruling coalition of the LDP and Komeito lost its majority in the parliamentary chamber, after it did so in last year's election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber.

The LDP's internal rules stipulate that an extraordinary leadership election would be held if requested by more than half of the party's lawmakers and representatives of its 47 prefectural chapters. As the party now has 295 lawmakers, the majority stands at 172.

On Tuesday, the LDP decided to hold a general meeting of its lawmakers on Sept. 2 to put together the review of the Upper House election.

Attention will likely be paid to how the report will mention the impact of the party's "slush fund" scandal on the Upper House election results, as well as the responsibility of Ishiba and other LDP executives for the major election setback.

The LDP's leadership team initially planned to compile the assessment report by the end of this month. The compilation has been postponed, however, mainly due to Ishiba's busy diplomatic schedule.

 [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]