It now looks all but certain that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be running uncontested for another three-year term as president of the Liberal Democratic Party as nobody else has emerged in the party race in September. Abe's reelection has effectively been deemed secure since he returned the LDP's ruling coalition with Komeito to a two-thirds majority in the Lower House in the December general election. Still, the lack of competition within the LDP is deplorable.
In the LDP's nearly 60-year history, only two incumbent presidents — Yasuhiro Nakasone in 1984 and Ryutaro Hashimoto in 1997 — won uncontested second terms after completing their first full terms. It would be unfortunate if the dearth of any challengers to the current leadership is due to a lack of diversity in views and policies in the LDP ranks — an undesirable state for any political party.
The leaders of all of the LDP's factions, including the largest one from which Abe hails, have expressed their endorsement of the prime minister in the party presidential race, which is set to officially open Sept. 8 but could end the same day if no other candidates emerge instead of holding a vote on Sept. 20.