3 LDP Presidential Candidates Positive on Law for Lockdown

Tokyo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)--Three of the four candidates for president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party showed positive attitudes on Friday toward establishing a law to enable lockdowns in Japan to help contain the novel coronavirus crisis. "We don't know what kind of infectious disease will be brought into (Japan). We need to develop a legislative framework," Taro Kono, administrative reform minister, said. Former internal affairs minister Sanae Takaichi said, "If we don't create such a law as soon as possible, we'll find ourselves unable to do anything." Fumio Kishida, former chairman of the LDP Policy Research Council, said, "We need to give serious consideration to a Japanese-style lockdown system that incorporates vaccination certificates and proof of coronavirus-negative test results." The LDP lawmakers made the remarks on a television program after registering their candidacies earlier in the day for the Sept. 29 party leadership election, held to pick the successor to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. By contrast, the other contender, Seiko Noda, executive acting secretary-general of the LDP, was cautious about legislation for lockdowns. "There are things that should be done more scientifically," she said on the program. END