2005 Democratic Party of Japan leadership election

Political party election in Japan 2005 Democratic Party of Japan leadership election Democratic Party of Japan Logo.svg legislative no September 2004 Democratic Party of Japan leadership election Sep 2004 April 2006 Democratic Party of Japan leadership election April 2006 17 September 2005 Caucus 150x150px Seiji Maehara Kyoto 2nd CE2029 96 50.5% 150x150px Naoto Kan Tokyo 18th CE2029 94 49.5% President Elected President Katsuya Okada Seiji Maehara The 2005 Democratic Party of Japan leadership election was held on 17 September 2005. The election was held to replace outgoing president Katsuya Okada, who resigned following the party's losses at the 2005 Japanese general election. Seiji Maehara defeated former leader Naoto Kan by a margin of just two votes to become the new president.https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2005/09/18/national/dpj-picks-maehara-for-top-spot/ https://web.archive.org/web/20190108045520/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2005/09/18/national/dpj-picks-maehara-for-top-spot/ 8 January 2019 DPJ picks Maehara for top spot 18 September 2005 The Japan Times Electoral system Candidates were required to gather endorsements from twenty (maximum 25) of the party's members of the National Diet in order to stand. Each Diet member was eligible to vote (194 total). If no candidate won more than 50% of votes, a runoff was to be held the same day. Nominations were taken on the 17th and the election held the same day. Candidates Candidate Offices held 100x100px Seiji Maehara(age 43)Kyoto Prefecture Member of the House of Representatives (1993–) 100x100px Naoto Kan(age 58)Tokyo Member of the House of Representatives (1980–)President of the Democratic Party of Japan (1996–99, 2002–04)Minister of Health and Welfare (1996) Sponsors Seiji Maehara (20) Naoto Kan (20) House of Representatives Jun Azumi Yutaka Banno Osamu Fujimura Motohisa Furukawa Kenta Izumi Yoko Komiyama Yōsuke Kondō Sumio Mabuchi Takeaki Matsumoto Akihisa Nagashima Masaharu Nakagawa Yoshihiko Noda Kan Suzuki Koichi Takemasa Shu WatanabeHouse of Councillors Wakako Hironaka Koji Matsui Renhō Kazuya Shimba Hideki Wakabayashi House of Representatives Tetsundo Iwakuni Hiroshi Kawauchi Issei Koga Shoichi Kondo Kazuko Kōri Chinami Nishimura Akihiro Ohata Yoshinori Suematsu Manabu Terata Keisuke Tsumura Masahiko Yamada Michiyoshi YunokiHouse of Councillors Keiko Chiba Kenzo Fujisue Shinkun Haku Tatsuo Hirano Mieko Kamimoto Shoukichi Kina Yoriko Madoka Kiyoshige Maekawa Source Withdrew Takashi Kawamura, member of the House of Representatives (1993–) Contest Initial speculated candidates included Ichirō Ozawa, Naoto Kan, and Yukio Hatoyama.https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2005/09/13/national/ailing-dpj-prepares-to-pick-new-boss/#.XDQs69TP1qY https://web.archive.org/web/20190108045226/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2005/09/13/national/ailing-dpj-prepares-to-pick-new-boss/#.XDQs69TP1qY 8 January 2019 13 September 2005 Ailing DPJ prepares to pick new boss Kajimoto Tetsushi The Japan Times Maehara announced his candidacy on 14 September. Yoshihiko Noda was approached by supporters to run, but stated he was supporting Maehara.https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2005/09/15/national/maehara-steps-forward-to-run-for-leadership-of-dpj/ Maehara steps forward to run for leadership of DPJ 15 September 2005 The Japan Times At a party meeting on the 15th, some members favoured uniting around a single candidate, while others called for an open process with multiple contenders.https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2005/09/16/national/ozawa-might-throw-hat-into-ring-for-dpj-chief/#.XDQs1dTP1qY https://web.archive.org/web/20190108045206/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2005/09/16/national/ozawa-might-throw-hat-into-ring-for-dpj-chief/#.XDQs1dTP1qY 8 January 2019 16 September 2005 Ozawa might throw hat into ring for DPJ chief Kajimoto Tetsushi The Japan Times Ozawa suggested he was open to running, but announced on the 16th that he would not: "I am in a position where I must take some of the blame for the defeat in the election."https://www.asahi.com/senkyo2005/news/TKY200509160296.html A head-to-head battle between Kan and Maehara in the Democratic Party leadership election 16 September 2005 20 July 2026 ja The Asahi Shimbun Takashi Kawamura attempted to run but was unable to gather sufficient support.https://www.asahi.com/senkyo2005/news/TKY200509170064.html Kan and Maehara Face Off in Democratic Party Leadership Election 17 September 2005 20 July 2026 ja The Asahi Shimbun Kan was viewed as the frontrunner with a strong base of support: he was supported by Takahiro Yokomichi's faction and many members of the Hatoyama and Ozawa factions, including Hatoyama himself and close Ozawa aide Tatsuo Hirano.https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/57602 The Democratic Party's mudslinging between Okada and Hosono has begun. Latecomer Okada attacks Hosono. 9 January 2015 ja Toyo Keizai However, the Hatoyama, Ozawa, and ex-DSP factions made no official endorsement and allowed a free vote, making the election unpredictable. Maehara ran as a reformer, supported by junior legislators, and pledged to appoint personnel on the basis of merit instead of seniority or factional balance. He was supported by Yoshihiko Noda and Motohisa Furukawa, and the Asahi reported that a majority of ex-DSP faction members would support him. Commentators suggested that his pitch for renewal and reform won over undecided legislators. In 2015, journalist Akiko Azumi stated that Maehara's emotional final pitch, in which he spoke of his late father who died by suicide during his childhood, was the deciding factor. Results Candidate Votes % Seiji Maehara 96 50.5 Naoto Kan 94 49.5 Total 190 100.00 Invalid 2 Turnout 192 99.0 Eligible 194 Source: DPJ Archive References Category:2005 elections in Japan Category:Democratic Party of Japan leadership elections Category:September 2005 in Japan Democratic Party (Japan, 1998) leadership election