12 days of campaign has started for the LDP presidential election

September 14, 2012

The candidates include Shinzo Abe, Shigeru Ishiba, Nobutaka Machimura, Nobuteru Ishihara and Yoshimasa Hayashi. Until the voting day of September 26, they will bring words on their visions and policies not only to the LDP members and supporters but also to the whole nation through soapbox speeches and public debate across the country. The 199 Diet members from the LDP are each entitled to a full vote, 117 from the House of Representatives and 82 from the House of Councillors. Voting among other LDP members and supporters of the party nationwide, allocated a combined 300 votes, will take place between the start of the campaigning period and September 25. In total 499 votes, a winner must obtain more than half of them in order to be elected as a Party President, however, if not the case, the Diet members will vote again for one of the first or second successful candidate.