December 2012 Democratic Party of Japan leadership election

December 2012 Democratic Party of Japan leadership election
25 December 2012
 
Candidate Banri Kaieda Sumio Mabuchi
Caucus vote 90 54
Percentage 62.5% 37.5%
Previous President

Yoshihiko Noda

 Elected President

Banri Kaieda

The December 2012 Democratic Party of Japan leadership election was held on 25 December 2012. The election was held to replace outgoing president Yoshihiko Noda, who resigned following the party's defeat in the 2012 Japanese general election. Former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Banri Kaieda was elected president. Kaieda had been a vocal critic of Noda during the period of government.[1][2][3]

Background

The Democratic Party had come to power for the first time in the 2009 Japanese general election. Elected in a landslide, the government struggled to implement policy, maintain unity and court public approval, cycling through three Prime Ministers and hosting four leadership elections in its three-year tenure. The party lost its majority in the upper house in 2010, and experienced a split in mid-2012 which deprived it of its lower house majority. The government was finally ousted in the December 2012 election, losing three-quarters of its seats. Eight cabinet ministers lost their seats in the defeat. Prime Minister Noda immediately announced his resignation as party president.[4]

Candidates

Candidate Offices held
Banri Kaieda
(age 63)
Tokyo		 Member of the House of Representatives (1993–2005; 2009–)
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (2011)
Sumio Mabuchi
(age 52)
Nara Prefecture		 Member of the House of Representatives (2003–)
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (2010–11)

Declined

Contest

The party executive met the day after the election, on 17 December, to arrange the contest. They decided to limit the vote to surviving DPJ Diet members, comprising 57 in the House of Representatives and 88 in the House of Councillors. They set the contest for the 22nd; the party intended to select a leader in time to vote for them in the upcoming Diet ballot for Prime Minister scheduled for the 26th.[5] A number of party members criticised the short timeframe, arguing that a longer period should be taken. Takashi Shinohara pointed out that, after the 2009 election, the LDP had taken a full month to select a new leader. Satoshi Arai advocated to consult with defeated members as well as prefectural and local assembly officials before choosing new leadership.[6][7] The executive reconvened on the 21st and agreed to postpone the election, though only until the 25th.[8]

Speculated candidates included former presidents Seiji Maehara and Katsuya Okada, former environment minister Goshi Hosono,[7][9] and former infrastructure minister Sumio Mabuchi.[10] The drastically reduced size of the caucus and loss of many party veterans made it difficult for candidates to reach the threshold of 20 nominations. The Maehara faction, the Kan faction, and ex-DSP group all lost several senior members, and the Kano faction lost both its leaders, Michihiko Kano and Shinji Tarutoko. The Hatoyama faction was effectively dissolved. As a result, many of the traditional factions opted out or were unable to field candidates.[11] Hosono and Maehara both announced that they would not run.[10][12]

Kaieda declared his candidacy on the 22nd, comparing the task of rebuilding the party to "pulling chestnuts from a fire." He was supported by the "anti-mainstream" groups that opposed Noda, including the ex-JSP group around Hirotaka Akamatsu, the ex-DSP group, and former Ozawa allies. Outgoing secretary-general Azuma Koshiishi, who was seen to exercise a decisive influence over the outcome, backed Kaieda.[3][13][14] He was also endorsed by Goshi Hosono.[15]

Mabuchi announced his candidacy on the 23rd. He was endorsed by Renhō and close Noda aide Yōsuke Kondō.[16] His backing came from the remaining pro-Noda sections of the party.[3]

Results

Candidate Votes %
Banri Kaieda 90 62.5
Sumio Mabuchi 54 37.5
Total 144 100.0
Invalid 1
Turnout 145 100
Eligible 145
Source: DPJ Archive

References

  1. ^ "DPJ gets a new leader". Deutsche Welle. 25 December 2012.
  2. ^ "Japan's opposition picks ex-trade minister as new leader". Reuters. 25 December 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "Kaieda takes DPJ helm; Ozawa overture hinted". The Japan Times. 26 December 2012.
  4. ^ Brinsley, John; Reynolds, Isabel (18 December 2012). "DPJ blows chance to establish two-party rule". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021.
  5. ^ "New leader to be elected on the 22nd = Prime Minister Noda calls for "a dissolution-like start" - Democratic Party". Jiji Press (in Japanese). 17 December 2012. Archived from the original on 26 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Summary of Remarks at the Democratic Party of Japan and Houses General Meeting". Jiji Press (in Japanese). 19 December 2012. Archived from the original on 26 April 2013.
  7. ^ a b Ito, Masami (20 December 2012). "Still smarting, DPJ struggles to regroup". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017.
  8. ^ "Expanded Executive Meeting Held, Confirms Intention to Elect a New Leader at a Joint House and House of Representatives Plenary Session on the 25th". Democratic Party of Japan. 21 December 2012.
  9. ^ Ito, Masami (18 December 2012). "Nothing left for the election-gutted DPJ to do but rebuild". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013.
  10. ^ a b "Democratic Party leadership election resembling a game of Old Maid; some say, "If Koshiishi were to run, he'd be in charge of the House of Councillors election."". Zakzak (in Japanese). 19 December 2012. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012.
  11. ^ "Democratic Party: Groups "Destroyed" as Endorsers Cut in Leadership Election; Their Presence and Activity Increase in the House of Councillors". Mainichi Shimbun. 21 December 2012. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012.
  12. ^ "Democratic Party Leadership Election to be Rescheduled for the 25th; No Clear Favourite, Chaotic". The Nikkei (in Japanese). 20 December 2012.
  13. ^ "Kaieda receives 90 votes, becoming the new Democratic Party leader... Mabuchi receives 54 votes". Yomiuri Shimbun. 25 December 2012. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012.
  14. ^ "Kaieda Announces Candidacy for Democratic Party Leadership Election: "Picking Up Chestnuts from a Fire"". Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 22 December 2012. Archived from the original on 22 December 2012.
  15. ^ "Democratic Party Support for Kaieda Expands, Leading to a One-on-One Battle with Mabuchi". The Nikkei (in Japanese). 24 December 2012.
  16. ^ "Mabuchi and Kaieda to compete head-to-head in Democratic Party leadership election on the 25th". Jiji Press (in Japanese). 23 December 2012. Archived from the original on 26 April 2013.
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