Koizumi most favored for LDP chief, followed by Takaichi: Jiji Poll

Koizumi was favoured by 23.8 % of respondents as a candidate for the upcoming presidential LDP election to be held on Oct. 4, while 21.0 % backed Takaichi. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, 64, and former party Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, 69, tied for third place on 5.9 %. Takayuki Kobayashi, former economic security minister, 50, accounted for 3.1 %, ranking fifth.

The poll held Friday through Monday asked respondents to pick one from candidates in the previous LDP presidential election held in September 2024, except Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

The survey was conducted by face-to-face interviews with 2,000 people aged 18 and over nationwide. Valid responses came from 58.1 %.

Of last year's candidates who have not indicated their intention to stand in the upcoming election, former Foreign Minister Taro Kono was picked by 2.8 %, former Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa by 1.4 % and Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato by 0.9 %, respectively.

Koizumi was picked by 31.8 % of respondents who support the party, while Takaichi was chosen by 19.7 %. Motegi was favoured by 11.1 %, Hayashi by 7.6 % and Kobayashi by 3.5 %, respectively.

As the ruling coalition of the LDP and Komeito lost its majority in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, attention is expected to turn to the makeup of the next administration once the LDP leadership election is over.

The poll asked respondents what form the next administration should take. Those who answered that the LDP-Komeito coalition should stay in power came to 16.5 %, while those who wanted the LDP-Komeito government to be replaced by a new administration made up 15.3 %.

Respondents who hoped that the Democratic Party for the People would join the coalition reached 11.6 %. Those who want the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan to do so stood at 10.9 %. A coalition joined by Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) was supported by 9.4 %, while one including Sanseito was backed by 7.1 %.

By party, the LDP received the highest support, at 17.1 %, up 1.4 percentage points from the previous month. Sanseito followed with 5.9 %, down 1.7 points, but remained the most popular opposition party. Backing decreased by 0.2 points to 5.3 % for the CDP and went down 3.4 points to 3.4 % for the DPFP.

Among other parties, support came to 3.0 % for Komeito, 2.0 % for Nippon Ishin, 1.8 % for the Japanese Communist Party, 1.6 % for the Conservative Party of Japan, 1.4 % for Reiwa Shinsengumi and 0.6 % for Team Mirai. No respondents said they supported the Social Democratic Party.

 [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]