On Aug. 29, Liberal Democratic Party Election Strategy Committee Chairman Keiji Furuya said that the LDP  should look into dropping the party rule that allows the president to serve no more than two three-year terms. In an interview with Sankei Shimbun, Furuya said, “I think it does not make sense that a president who has achieved results and should remain in the post steps down.” The party is about to launch discussions on this issue.  

Saying this was his personal view, Furuya pointed out that the party rule is the relic of the multiple-seat constituency system under which LDP factions fielded their own candidates for the presidency. Citing the fact that Britain, which has a parliamentary cabinet system, and Germany have no such rule, he said: “As long as the president has accomplished things, he or she should serve many terms.”

The LDP leadership plans to look into extending the two three-year terms to three three-year terms. There was no rule prohibiting the president from serving multiple terms until 1980 when the party banned three (two-year) terms.