Major Japanese political parties excluding the Japan Innovation Party have decided not to field candidates in the upcoming double election for Osaka governor and mayor. The election stems from resignations by current leaders to push forward administrative reforms.
Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura, leader of the Japan Innovation Party, and Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama have resigned to trigger a double election aimed at reviving plans to reform the region's administrative structure. Major parties other than the Innovation Party have signaled they will not participate.
The Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) Osaka chapter decided on Saturday against fielding candidates in either the gubernatorial or mayoral races. Rui Matsukawa, head of the LDP Osaka chapter, questioned the timing at a news conference, saying, "I wonder if a sudden election can reflect public opinion." He added, "It will be an election in which we don't need to participate."
A political group linked to the Japanese Communist Party has also opted out of fielding candidates. The prefectural branches of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito plan to skip the election as well.
This boycott allows the Innovation Party to dominate the contest and focus on its reform agenda without competition from established rivals. The outcome could reshape Osaka's political landscape.