The April 2006 Democratic Party of Japan leadership election was held on 7 April 2006. The election was held to replace outgoing president Seiji Maehara, who resigned on 31 March. Ichirō Ozawa, former leader of the Liberal Party, defeated former president Naoto Kan by a large margin in the contest.

Background Seiji Maehara had been elected leader the previous September in a knife's-edge contest with Naoto Kan. In February 2006, DPJ legislator Hisayasu Nagata alleged that the Liberal Democratic Party had taken a 30 million yen bribe from entrepreneur Takafumi Horie, who had been arrested for fraud the previous month, in exchange for supporting for his unsuccessful candidacy in the 2005 election. Maehara gave Nagata the green light to air the allegations; however, the email Nagata used as evidence proved to be fabricated. The DPJ was forced to walk back the accusation, and the party's image and Maehara's position were greatly damaged. He announced his resignation on 31 March.

Electoral system Candidates were required to gather endorsements from twenty (maximum 25) of the party's members of the National Diet in order to stand. Each Diet member was eligible to vote (192 total). If no candidate won more than 50% of votes, a runoff was to be held the same day. Nominations were taken on the 7th and the election held the same day.

Candidates Candidate Offices held Ichirō Ozawa Member of the House of Representatives (1969–)President of the Liberal Party (1998–2003) Naoto Kan Member of the House of Representatives (1980–)President of the Democratic Party of Japan (1996–99, 2002–04)Minister of Health and Welfare (1996)

Sponsors Ichirō Ozawa (25) Naoto Kan (22) House of RepresentativesHouse of Councillors House of RepresentativesHouse of Councillors

Withdrew Yoshinori Suematsu, member of the House of Representatives (1996–)

Contest Kan and Ozawa quickly emerged as the main contenders. On the day of Maehara's resignation, Ozawa recorded an interview with Fuji TV stating his willingness to run, which aired on 2 April. Kan stated that he was also eager to stand, and welcomed a contested ballot. Both candidates officially declared on 5 April. Yoshinori Suematsu also announced his intention to run, but withdrew after failing to gather the twenty nominations required to stand. Ozawa was supported by the Hatoyama, ex-DSP, and ex-JSP factions.

An opinion poll conducted on 1–2 April found the two candidates neck and neck in public support: 22.1% favoured Ozawa compared to 21.1% for Kan.

On the eve of the election, a Kan aide admitted "we have been lagging behind" in party support. Both candidates emphasised unity, each pledging to appoint the other to a leadership position should they win.

Results Candidate Votes % Ichirō Ozawa 119 62.3 Naoto Kan 72 37.7 Total 191 100.00 Invalid 1 Turnout 192 100.0 Eligible 192 Source: DPJ Archive

Aftermath After his victory, Ozawa declared his intention to win the next elections and establish a DPJ government. He pledged to restore public trust in the party. He outlined his policy proposals, saying that the consumption tax revenue should be used to cover part of pensions, nursing, and healthcare for the elderly. He endorsed amending the Constitution and stated his hope for "a friendly relationship based on trust and cooperation" with China.

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