Democratic Party of Japan leadership race Jan 18 2015

[Famous Mortimer]

Democratic Party of Japan leadership election today. The candidates are:

Goshi Hosono: Former Secretary-General of the party. Favors cooperation and possibly outright merger with the Japan Innovation Party. He is backed by his own faction, a faction led by Nippon Kaigi member Akihisa Nagashima, and by several members of Seiji Maehara's faction (Maehara, also a Nippon Kaigi member, opted not to run himself).

Katsuya Okada: Former leader and current acting leader. Represents the dominant barely centre-left strain of the party. Is against any strong alliance with the JIP which would jeopardize the party's support from unions. He is backed by former Prime Minister Noda, former members of the Democratic Socialist Party, and, like Hosono, some members of Seiji Maehara's faction.

Akira Nagatsuma: Former Health Minister. The most leftist candidate. Backed by former members of the Socialist Party of Japan. He is also backed by several public sector unions.

So basically this is a clear choice between right, left, and centre.

Diet members, regional assembly members, due paying party members, and House of Chancellors candidates get to vote in the first round. If no one wins a majority, it goes to a run-off with just the MPs voting. It's likely Hosono will win a plurality in the first round and then it will go to a run-off where Nagatsuma's MPs will switch and give a victory to Okada.

[Famous Mortimer]

Part of me wants Hosono not to win because he's the worst candidate.

Another part of him to win that way he can take his horrible people and form a new party with the JIP and all the people who don't want to do that can form a more unambiguously left party.