The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, deeply divided over its future direction, will hold its presidential election on Sept. 23, in what amounts to a referendum on Kenta Izumi's leadership.
While no CDP member has officially declared their intention to run in the campaign, which begins on Sept. 7, Izumi could face challenges to his reelection from former CDP leaders such as Yukio Edano, while veteran party members, including Ichiro Ozawa and Yoshihiko Noda, a former prime minister, are expected to play influential roles in the race regardless of the final candidates.
Key questions surrounding the election start with the issue of what other opposition parties the CDP should work with during national elections — in particular, what its relationship should be with the Japanese Communist Party. The CDP and the JCP have an agreement to not run candidates against each other in district races where possible, in an attempt to prevent a split opposition vote that hands victory to someone else.
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