The results are in!

Since you were all waiting on the edge of your seats for the results of last night's LDP leadership vote, here they are!

自民新総裁に安倍氏＝ 決選投票で逆転勝 利―石破氏を要職起用 へ

2012年9月26日 19:56 JST

自民党総裁選は２６日午後に党本部で投開票 され、国会議員による決選投票の結果、安倍晋 三元首相（５８）が石破茂前政調会長（５５） を破り、第２５代総裁に選出された。安倍氏は 就任後の記者会見で、早期の政権奪還を目指 し、石破氏を党の要職に起用する意向を表明。 執行部人事を一両日中に決める方針を示した。 野田政権を早期の衆院解散に追い込むため、秋 の臨時国会では対決姿勢を強める構えだ。

安倍氏は選出後の両院議員総会で「自民党の 先頭に立てという使命を与えていただいた。責 任をしっかり胸に刻んで、政権奪還に向け全力 を尽くしていく」と強調。この後、記者会見に 臨み、民主、自民、公明３党首が合意した「近 いうち」の衆院解散について「国民との約束 だ。これは実行していただきたい」と述べ、野 田佳彦首相に解散・総選挙を求めていく考えを 示した。

執行部人事では、安倍氏とともに「党の顔」 として次期衆院選に当たる幹事長が焦点。安倍 氏は会見で、石破氏について「党員票の過半数 を取ったことを重く受け止めなければならな い。協力が求められている」と語った。

安倍氏の任期は２０１５年９月末までの３年 間。１９５５年の自民党結党後、総裁経験者が 再び総裁に就いたのは初めて。総裁選で決選投 票となったのは７２年以来４０年ぶりで、１回 目の投票で２位の候補が決選投票で逆転勝利し たのは５６年ぶりだ。

１回目の投票は、国会議員票１９８と党員票 ３００の計４９８票で争われた。石破氏が議員 票３４と党員票１６５の計１９９票を集めて１ 位となったが、過半数には届かなった。

このため、議員票５４と党員票８７の計１４ １票を獲得し２位となった安倍氏との間で決選 投票が行われた。その結果、安倍氏が１０８ 票、石破氏が８９票を得て、安倍氏が谷垣禎一 氏の後継総裁に選ばれた。議員票のうち１回目 は棄権票、決選投票では無効票がそれぞれ１票 ずつあった。

http://jp.wsj.com/Japan/Politics/node_519291

Abe wins in LDP leadership race – come from behind victory in run-off – to put Ishiba in key office

The Liberal Democratic Party conducted its party leadership election on the afternoon of the 26 th at party headquarters, and former prime minister Shinzo Abe (58) defeated former party policy chief Shigeru Ishiba (55) in a run-off vote, based on the results of a vote by members of parliament (MP), and becomes the 25 th party president. At his post-inauguration press conference, Abe emphasized the goal of quickly returning to power as well as his intention to place Ishiba in a key party post. He stated a plan to complete party personnel decisions in the next couple of days. He also showed a desire to strength the LDP’s confrontational stance in the fall parliamentary session with the goal of pressing the Noda administration to dissolve the Lower House.

At a general session of MPs after his election, he declared “I have been given the mission to lead the LDP. I will bear this responsibility resolutely and give my all to returning us to power.” At a press interview afterward, he stated that “It was a promise to the people that I would like to see accomplished,” regarding the agreement between the DPJ, LDP and Komeito on dissolving the Lower House in the “near future,” indicating that he would request Prime Minister Yoshihiro Noda to dissolve the Diet and call a general election.

Of party leadership positions, along with Abe, the “party head” aka chief party secretary who will lead in the next Lower House elections is a focal point. Abe said concerning Ishiba, “He received a majority of party member votes and I must respect that. I will seek his cooperation.”

Abe’s term will be 3 years long, until September 2015. This is the first time since the party was founded in 1955 that a previous party president has served a second term. Also, this is the first party leadership election decided by a run-off in 40 years, since 1972 and the first time in 56 years that the runner-up candidate from the first election has won the run-off.

In the first vote, 198 parliamentarians and 300 party members’ votes were contested. Ishiba received 34 MP votes and 165 party member votes for a total of 199 votes and came in first place, but he did not gain a majority. Therefore, he contested a run-off with second-place Abe, who took 54 MP votes and 87 party members for a total of 141. The result of that was 108 for Abe and 89 for Ishiba and thus Abe was chosen as successor to current LDP president Sadakazu Tanigaki. In the first round vote, 1 MP abstained and one was counted invalid in the run-off.