Campaigning for the presidency of Japan's largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party begins this weekend. CDP President Izumi Kenta announced he plans to run for the party's leadership.

Izumi said: "People are very dissatisfied and angry about the LDP's issue of slush funds. In this situation, the role of the Constitutional Democratic Party is quite significant. The slush fund issue is against the rules. It is a clear and large-scale violation of rules. We must send them off with yellow or red cards. We will aim for a change of government in the next general election. And I will take the lead."

The 50-year-old politician was Cabinet Office parliamentary vice-minister when the now defunct Democratic Party of Japan was in power.
He became the CDP president after the party lost in the 2021 Lower House election.

Izumi is the third person to officially announce their candidacy after the party's former president, Edano Yukio, and Former Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko.

The campaign period is set to begin on Saturday, followed by the election on September 23.