2011 Democratic Party (Japan, 1998) leadership election

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2011 Democratic Party (Japan, 1998) leadership election

← 2010 August 29, 2011 2011 →

Candidate Yoshihiko Noda Banri Kaieda Seiji Maehara First round 102 143 74 Second round 213 177 Eliminated   Candidate Michihiko Kano Sumio Mabuchi First round 52 24 Second round Eliminated Eliminated

Previous President Naoto Kan President Yoshihiko Noda

The 2011 Democratic Party of Japan leadership election took place on August 29, 2011. The election chose Yoshihiko Noda as the successor to Naoto Kan as president of the Democratic Party (Minshutō) of Japan. The designation of the new party president as prime minister in the Diet took place on August 30; Kan remained as acting prime minister until his successor's formal appointment ceremony with the Emperor.^[1][2] In June 2011, Kan had announced to resign once three conditions have been met: passage of the second extra budget for fiscal 2011, passage of a bill to promote the use renewable energy and passage of a bill to issue new debt covering bonds. The extra budget was passed in July; after an agreement with the opposition was struck on reforming the child allowance introduced by the Democratic Party, the renewable energies bill and the bond ceiling increase passed through the Diet (including the opposition controlled House of Councillors) on August 26, 2011.

The official campaign period started on August 27.^[3] Issues in the campaign include the question of whether tax increases in the current election period are necessary to finance the budget deficit and the reconstruction after the Great Eastern Japanese Earthquake of March 2011, the issue of possible revisions to the party’s manifesto from the 2009 election^[4] and a possible Grand Coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party and Kōmeitō as proposed by Yoshihiko Noda early in the campaign.^[5]