Kishida Steps Aside: Japan Set for New Prime Minister
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election in the upcoming Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership vote in September, setting the stage for a new leader and a potential change in direction for the country, CBS News reports.
Kishida, who was elected LDP head in 2021, said he would support the new leader, recognizing the need for fresh leadership. With the LDP controlling both houses of parliament, the winner of the party vote will automatically become the next prime minister. The move presents a chance for the LDP to showcase its adaptability and respond to the public’s demands for change.
“We need to clearly show an LDP reborn. In order to show a changing LDP, the most obvious first step is for me to bow out… “I will not run for the upcoming party leadership election,” Kishida told a news conference.
Stung by his party’s corruption scandals, Kishida has suffered dwindling support ratings that have dipped below 20%.
In order to achieve policies to tackle difficult situations in and outside Japan, regaining public trust in politics is crucial, Kishida said. He called on aspiring party lawmakers to raise their hands to run for leadership and have active policy debates during the campaign.
“Once a new leader is decided, I hope to see everyone unite and form a dream team to achieve politics that can gain public understanding,” he said.
Kishida said he has been mulling his possible resignation for some time but waited until he could put his key policies on track, including energy policy that calls for a return to nuclear power, a drastic military buildup to deal with security threats in the region, and improving ties with South Korea, as well as political reforms.
Speculation on potential candidates has landed on a number of senior LDP lawmakers, including party Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, Digital Minister Taro Kono, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.
A winner will replace Kishida as party president and will be endorsed as the new prime minister in a parliamentary vote soon after. LDP executives are expected to decide next week on the date for the party election.
Since the corruption scandal broke, Kishida has removed a number of Cabinet ministers and others from party executive posts, dissolved party factions that were criticized as the source of money-for-favor politics, and tightened political funds control law. Ten people – lawmakers and their aides – were indicted in January.
Kishida’s decision to resign comes amidst declining support for his government and a series of political setbacks.
Local election losses earlier this year significantly weakened his standing within the LDP. These defeats, coupled with major losses in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly by-elections in July, fueled calls for a change in leadership ahead of the next general election.
Adding to the pressure was a recent political scandal involving unreported funds raised through party event tickets. The scandal implicated over 80 LDP lawmakers, primarily from a faction previously led by the assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The assassination itself brought to light the LDP’s longstanding ties with the Unification Church, attracting further criticism for Kishida.
