1999 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election

Japanese political party leadership election October 2025October 2025 1998 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election 1998 2000 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election 2000 1999 9 21 y 自民党Logo.svg legislative LDP MPs Party members Total Keizo Obuchi 19980730.jpg Keizō Obuchi Gunma 5th 43B3AE 253 (68.19%) 97 (67.83%) 350 (68.09%) Koichi Kato 1985 (cropped).jpg Koichi Kato Yamagata 4th CC0033 85 (22.91%) 28 (19.58%) 113 (21.99%) Taku_Yamasaki-Public_speaking-20050409.jpg Taku Yamasaki Fukuoka 2nd 9370DB 33 (8.90%) 18 (12.59%) 51 (9.92%) President Keizō Obuchi Keizō Obuchi The 1999 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election took place on 21 September 1999 to elect the leader and president of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Overview The election was held following the expiration of the 1997 LDP presidential election (where Ryutaro Hashimoto was re-elected unopposed). Keizō Obuchi, who had been first elected in the 1998 LDP presidential election, strongly desired unopposed re-election. He particularly sought to appease Koichi Kato, who had recently inherited the Kato faction, by hinting at being his successor. However, Kato ignored his appeal and ran alongside his ally and Taku Yamasaki, chairman of the Yamasaki faction. Kato, already considered a leading candidate for the future presidency, saw this as an ideal opportunity to demonstrate his support for Obuchi. Although he had anticipated losing, he actively promoted a "refreshing policy debate" in the hope of establishing a party-wide coalition following the election. Obuchi won as expected, but Obuchi never forgave Kato for running against him and severely undermined the Kato faction in his subsequent appointments. This led to the Kato Rebellion the following year.2016-09-11 加藤紘一氏死去 上れなかった政権の坂 Koichi Kato passes away: The government's failed climb https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGKKASFS25H6Z_Q6A910C1PE8000/ 2016-09-13 日本経済新聞 ja On the other hand, the Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyūkai (Mori faction), whose chairman, Yoshirō Mori, had supported Obuchi as LDP Secretary-General, quickly withdrew from the race and supported Obuchi. Following this, Junichiro Koizumi, who had run in the previous two presidential elections, also withdrew. When Obuchi fell ill the following year, the prime ministerial position fell to Mori, who continued as secretary-general. During the "Kato Rebellion," Koizumi, who supported Mori as faction chairman, suppressed the rebellion and ultimately became prime minister himself in 2001. As such, this presidential election contained several important foreshadowings of future political developments. It was Shinzo Abe, a young politician with only two election wins at the time, who strongly urged Mori, the faction chairman, to run. Abe later recalled with a wry smile that he was young himself, saying, "If Mori had run against him, as we young people demanded, he might not have become the next prime minister. Kato, who ran at that time, ultimately did not become prime minister".2020-09-13 もう一つの政権交代 Another change of government https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO63786070S0A910C2EA3000/ 2020-10-12 日本経済新聞 電子版 ja Candidates Declared Candidate(s) Date of birth Current position Party faction Electoral districtcenter|x120px Keizō Obuchi 1937 6 25 y(age 62) Prime Minister(since 1998)President of the Liberal Democratic Party(since 1998)Member of the House of Representatives(since 1963) Previous offices held Minister for Foreign Affairs(1997–1998) Chief Cabinet Secretary(1987–1989) Heisei Kenkyūkai(Watanuki) center|x30px Gunma 5thcenter|x120px Koichi Kato 1939 6 17 y(age 60) Member of the House of Representatives(since 1972) Previous offices held Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party(1995–1998) Chief Cabinet Secretary(1991–1992) Director-General of the Japan Defense Agency(1984–1986) Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political affairs)(1978–1980) Kōchikai(Kato) center|x30px Yamagata 4thcenter|x120px Taku Yamasaki 1936 12 11 y(age 62) Member of the House of Representatives(since 1972) Previous offices held Minister of Construction(1991–1992) Director-General of the Japan Defense Agency(1989) Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary (Political affairs)(1984–1985) Kinmirai Seiji Kenkyūkai(Yamasaki) center|x30px Fukuoka 2nd Results + Full resultsja:松本潤 - 自民党総裁選挙1999アーカイブ Jun Matsumoto - LDP Presidential Election 1999 Archive https://jun.or.jp/electionLDPsousai/1999-LDPsousaisen.htm 2026-05-22 ja CandidateDiet membersParty membersTotal pointsVotes%Popular votes%Allocated votes%Total votes% Keizō Obuchi red 当25368.19%9767.83%350 68.09 00b13868.09% Koichi Kato8522.91%2819.58%113 21.99 00b13821.99% Taku Yamasaki338.90%1812.59%51 9.92 00b1389.92% Total371100.00%143100.00%514100.00%Valid votes371100.00%143100.00%514100.00%Invalid and blank votes00.00%00.00%00.00%Turnout371100.00%1,435,22049.29%143Party member votes were counted as one vote for every 10,000 votes, and these votes became the "party member counted votes".100.00%514100.00%Registered voters371100.00%2,911,519100.00%143100.00%514100.00% References Category:1999 political party leadership elections Category:1999 elections in Japan Category:September 1999 in Japan 1999