Democratic Party of Japan leader Seiji Maehara is considering instituting an age limit of 65 when fielding new candidates to run in single-seat districts for the House of Representatives, sources said Sunday.
The idea comes as the largest opposition party tries to recover from a resounding defeat in the Sept. 11 general election, where it lost many Lower House seats in the single-seat voting districts, especially in urban areas where it was thought to enjoy wide support.
In trying to mount a comeback, DPJ officials are going to look for candidates who can win, and age is going to a factor, party sources said.
Maehara is hoping to gain party approval for the age limit at a meeting of senior officials in early November, according to the sources. But it remains to be seen whether it will be accepted easily, as some party executives are against the introduction of a "retirement age," while others in the party are calling for the ceiling to be set at 70.
Of the freshmen and former Lower House members who ran unsuccessfully in the September race on the party's ticket, only about 80 -- half of them -- were younger than 65.
Analysts said one reason the DPJ is setting stringent standards is because its Diet strength fell due to the September loss and will now get fewer government subsidies, which means less money for candidates so the field will have to be narrowed.
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