“FRESH START”
“In this election, whether the LDP can rise or fall is at stake,” Suzuki told a press conference.
The leadership election will be an opportunity for the party to reform itself, said Hiroshi Moriyama, the LDP secretary general who served under Ishiba.
“I think this presidential election is an important opportunity for our party to make a fresh start… and move forward as a national party for a new era,” he said.
The LDP’s leaders usually become prime minister because of the party’s long-held legislative majority with coalition partner Komeito.
But the party over the past year lost its majority in both houses of parliament after two major election losses under Ishiba.
The soft-spoken defence policy wonk on Sunday abruptly announced that he would step down, despite earlier suggestions that he would stay on, as rifts within the party deepened over his leadership.
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