At age 43, former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is the youngest of the nine candidates and one of the three front-runners in the Liberal Democratic Party¡¯s Sept. 27 presidential election.
His polished speaking style in front of the television cameras, his sharp criticism of fellow LDP members caught up in a slush funds scandal and his calls for regulatory reform that spares no sacred cows is reminiscent of his father, former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
¡°Both men are theatrical and good at appealing to the public. In that sense, Shinjiro is on par with his father, which is why I¡¯m calling the LDP presidential election the second act of the Koizumi theater,¡± veteran political columnist Kenji Goto said Wednesday.
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