The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has decided to revise party rules to extend the maximum tenure for party presidents, a move that could possibly see Prime Minister Shinzo Abe running for a third term in 2018.
The decision, which suggests a lack of powerful rivals within the party, will considerably reduce the chance Abe becomes a lame duck leader before the end of his current term ending in September 2018. The move could also pave the way for him to become Japan's longest-serving prime minster.
In a high-level internal meeting Wednesday, LDP executives agreed to change the current party rules capping the presidential tenure at six years over two consecutive terms, sources confirmed Thursday. Each term lasts three years.