Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

The Liberal Democratic Party (自由民主党, Jiyū-Minshutō^? , abbreviated PLD), also known by its Japanese abbreviation Jimintō (自民党, Jimintō^?), is a political party with a conservative ideology in Japan. It is the political force that has governed the country almost uninterruptedly since its founding in 1955. multiparty political system, for some authors the long years in power of the PLD have become more of a dominant party system. Precisely, the fragmentation and division of other Japanese opposition parties is one of the causes that explains the strength of the LDP for several decades.

The Liberal Democratic Party should not be confused with the now-defunct Liberal Party (自由党, Jiyūtō^? ), which joined the Democratic Party (then the main opposition party) in 2003.

History

The PLD has remained in power for most of the time from its founding to the present, except for two periods: between 1993 and 1994, with the formation of a coalition government that left the PLD out; In which the PLD was absent from power was during the governments of the Democratic Party, between 2009 and 2012.

Foundation and early years

First party convention, November 15, 1955.

The PLD was created in 1955 with the union of two political formations: the Liberal Party (自由党, Jiyutō^?, led by Shigeru Yoshida) and the Democratic Party of Japan (日本民主党, Nihon Minshutō ^?, led by Ichirō Hatoyama). Both, which were two right-wing parties, and agreed to unite to in turn form a unified party against the Japan Socialist Party, which at that time enjoyed great popularity among the Japanese electorate. The LDP won the next elections held, and managed to form Japan's first conservative government with a large majority. Since then he would manage to maintain the government until 1993.

The PLD began by giving a new approach to Japan's foreign policy, with measures ranging from membership and active participation in the United Nations, to the reestablishment of diplomatic contacts with the Soviet Union. In the majority of elections that followed 1955, the Liberal Democratic Party became the most voted political force, meeting practically the only opposition that came from the two main leftist parties: the Japan Socialist Party (JSP) and the Japan Communist Party. Japan (PCJ). For this reason, between the 1950s and the 1970s, the United States Central Intelligence Agency spent millions of dollars during Japanese election campaigns, seeking to increase popular support for the LDP and, in turn, against the parties and leftist movements, such as the socialists and communists.

However, the long involvement of the US secret services in favor of Japanese conservatives was not known to the public until the mid-1990s, when it was revealed by the renowned US newspaper The New York Times.

Recent Period

PLD Headquarters in Tokyo.

Following his return to power in 1996, five years later the party came under the leadership of the charismatic Junichiro Koizumi. With another victory in the 2005 general elections, the PLD maintained an absolute majority in the national Diet and formed a coalition government with the New Kōmeitō party. Koizumi's government period was marked by his alliance with US President George W. Bush, a strong nationalist policy and especially the privatization of the Japanese postal service, which in economic matters was the main objective of the Koizumi government.

Shinzō Abe succeeded Junichiro Koizumi as party chairman on September 20, 2006, though he would only hold the post for a short term. In that context, the party suffered a major defeat in the 2007 House of Councilors elections and lost the majority in this chamber for the first time in its history. On September 12, 2007, Abe resigned as prime minister and party leader, and Yasuo Fukuda succeeded him, who in turn would resign on September 1, 2008 after just one year in office. Then the veteran Taro Aso took over the leadership of the government and the party, but in the 2009 general elections the PLD suffered a major electoral setback against the Democratic Party by losing 177 seats in parliament, which meant his departure from government. This defeat ended more than half a century of Conservative rule.

However, after three years of government the Democratic Party had suffered severe wear and tear and in the 2012 general elections the PLD, again under the leadership of Shinzō Abe, achieved a resounding victory and its return to power. Since that date, the conservatives have been in charge of the Japanese government.

Election results

Results of the elections to the House of Representatives

Results of the elections to the House of Councilors

Presidents of the party

#	Image	Name	Home	Fin	Notes
Chairman
1		Ichirō Hatoyama ン 山 山 山 山 Hatoyama Ichirō	5 April 1956	14 December 1956	Prime Minister of Japan (1954-1956) Member of the House of Representatives of Japan (1915-1959)
2		Tanzan Ishibashi 山 山 山 山 山 山 山 山 石 石 山 山 山 山 山 山 Ishibashi Tanzan	14 December 1956	21 March 1957	Prime Minister of Japan (1956-1957) Director General of the Defence Agency (1956-1957) Minister of Posts and Telecommunications (December-December 1956) Minister of International Trade and Industry (1954-1956) Minister of Finance (1946-1947) Member of the Japanese House of Representatives (April-May 1947; 1952-1967)
3		Nobusuke Kishi oriented oriented Kishi Nobusuke	21 March 1957	14 July 1960	Prime Minister of Japan (1957-1960) Director General of the Defense Agency (January-February 1957) Minister for Foreign Affairs (1956-1957) Minister of Trade and Industry (1941-1943) Member of the House of Representatives of Japan (1942-1943; 1953-1979)
4r		Hayato Ikeda 人 田 人 人 Ikeda Hayato	14 July 1960	1 December 1964	Prime Minister of Japan (1960-1964) Minister of Finance (1949-1952; 1956-1957; February-July 1957) Member of the House of Representatives of Japan (1949-1965)
5		Eisaku Satō ▪ Satō Eisaku	1 December 1964	5 July 1972	Prime Minister of Japan (1964-1972) Member of the House of Representatives of Japan (1949-1975)
6		Kakuei Tanaka 中文 Tanaka Kakuei	5 July 1972	4 December 1974	Prime Minister of Japan (1972-1974) Minister of International Trade and Industry (1971-1972) Minister of Finance (1962-1965) Minister of Posts and Telecommunications (1957-1958) Member of the House of Representatives of Japan (1947-1990) He resigned for the Lockheed scandal.
7		Takeo Miki MERCHING LAND Miki Takeo	4 December 1974	23 December 1976
8		Takeo Fukuda מ の 'Fukuda Takeo	23 December 1976	1 December 1978
9		Masayoshi ⋅hira ♫ ♫ ♫ Masayoshi	1 December 1978	12 June 1980	He died while he was in office.
-		Eiichi Nishimura ⋅ ▼ Nishimura Eiichi	12 June 1980	15 July 1980	Functional
10		Zenko Suzuki margin 幸 Suzuki Zenkō	15 July 1980	25 November 1982
11		Yasuhiro Nakasone 中 根 Nakasone Yasuhiro	25 November 1982	31 October 1987
12		Noboru Takeshita ・ Takeshita Noboru	31 October 1987	2 June 1989	He resigned for the Prisoner Scandal.
13		Sōsuke One 日本語 One Sōsuke	2 June 1989	8 August 1989	He resigned for a sexual scandal.
14		Toshiki Kaifu Kaifu Toshiki	8 August 1989	30 October 1991
15		Kiichi Miyazawa ¢Ü ¢Ü ¢Ü ¢Ü ¢Ü ¢Ü ¢Ü ¢Ü ¢Ü 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 喜 Miyazawa Kiichi	31 October 1991	29 July 1993	He resigned for the Recruit Scandal.
16		Yōhei Kōno felt oriented Kōno Yōhei	29 July 1993	1 October 1995
17		Ryutaro Hashimoto definitive 龍のの 龍 龍の 龍の 龍の 龍の 龍の 龍 龍の 龍 龍の 龍 龍 龍の 龍 龍の 龍 龍の 龍 龍の 龍の 龍 龍の 龍の 龍 龍の 龍の 龍 龍の 龍の 龍の 龍の 龍 龍の 龍の 龍 龍の 龍の 龍の 龍の 。 Hashimoto Ryūtarō	1 October 1995	24 July 1998
18		Keizō Obuchi Facilita consuming Obuchi Keizō	24 July 1998	5 April 2000
19		Yoshirō Mori 繁體字 繁體字 Mori Yoshirō	5 April 2000	24 April 2001	Prime Minister of Japan (2000-2001) Minister of Construction (1995-1996) Minister of International Trade and Industry (1992-1993) Minister of Education (1983-1984) Member of the House of Representatives of Japan (1969-2000)
20		Junichiro Koizumi ⋅ Koizumi Jun'ichirō	24 April 2001	20 September 2006	Prime Minister of Japan (2001-2006) Minister of Health and Welfare (1996-1998; 1988-1989) Minister of Mail and Telecommunications (1992-1993) Member of the House of Representatives of Japan (1972-2009)
21		Shinzō Abe  Abe Shinzō	20 September 2006	26 September 2007
22		Yasuo Fukuda מ の Fukuda Yasuo	26 September 2007	22 September 2008	Prime Minister of Japan (2007-2008) Chief Cabinet Secretary (2000-2004) Member of the House of Representatives of Japan (1990-2012)
23		Tarō Asō Русский Asō Tarō	22 September 2008	16 September 2009	Deputy Prime Minister of Japan (2012-present) Minister of Finance (2012-present) Prime Minister of Japan (2008-2009) Minister for Foreign Affairs (2005-2007) Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications (2003-2005) Member of the House of Representatives of Japan (1996-present)
24		Sadakazu Tanigaki Tanigaki Sadakazu	28 September 2009	26 September 2012	Minister of Justice (2014-2016) Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (August-September 2008) Minister of Finance (2003-2006)
25		Shinzō Abe  Abe Shinzō	26 September 2012	14 September 2020	Prime Minister of Japan (2012-2020; 2006-2007) Chief Cabinet Secretary (2005-2006) Member of the Japanese House of Representatives (1993-July 2022) (Because of his murder)
26		Yoshihide Suga 義 ה Suga Yoshihide	14 September 2020	30 September 2021	Prime Minister of Japan (2020-2021) Chief Cabinet Secretary (2012-2020) Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications (2006-2007) Member of the House of Representatives of Japan (1996-present)
27		Fumio Kishida  Kishida Fumio	1 October 2021	Unfulfilled	Prime Minister of Japan (2021-present) Minister for Foreign Affairs (2012-2017) Minister of State for Okinawa Affairs and Northern Territories (2007-2008) Member of the Japanese House of Representatives (1993-present)