Tokyo (AP) – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidamade a surprise announcement on Wednesday that he would not run in the upcoming party chairman election in September, paving the way for a new prime minister in Japan.
Kishida was elected leader of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party in 2021 and his three-year term ends in September. Whoever wins the party election will succeed him as prime minister, as the LDP controls both houses of parliament. A new face is a chance for the party to show it is changing for the better, and Kishida said he would support the new leader.
“We must clearly show that the LDP is reborn,” Kishida said at a press conference on Wednesday. “To show that the LDP is changing, the most obvious first step for me is to quit.”
“I will not run in the upcoming election for party chairmanship,” he said.
Stung by his Party corruption scandalsKishida is suffering from declining approval ratings, which have fallen below 20%.
In order to achieve political action to resolve difficult situations inside and outside Japan, it is crucial to regain public trust in politics, Kishida said. He called on prospective party lawmakers to run for the party chairmanship and to engage in active political debate during the election campaign.
“Once a new chairman is chosen, I hope everyone will come together and form a dream team to pursue policies that will be understood by the public,” he said.
Kishida said he had been thinking about his possible resignation for some time, but waited until he could launch his key policies, including energy policy, which includes a return to nuclear power, a drastic military build-up to combat security threats in the region, improving relations with South Korea and political reforms.
Speculation about possible candidates has sparked 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 leader and be named the new prime minister in a parliamentary election soon after. The LDP leadership is expected to set the date for the party election next week.
Since the corruption scandal broke, Kishida has dismissed a number of ministers and others from party leadership positions, dissolved party factions that were criticized as sources of favoritism, and tightened the law controlling political funds. In January, 10 people – lawmakers and their staff – were indicted.
Despite Kishida’s efforts, support for his government dwindled.
Local elections Losses at the beginning of the year His influence has been eroded, and LDP lawmakers have expressed the need for a new face ahead of the next general election. Big losses in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly in July’s elections also contributed to the push.
The scandal revolves around undeclared political donations collected through the sale of tickets to party events. More than 80 LDP lawmakers were affected, most of whom belonged to a large party faction previously controlled by assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo AbeThe assassination triggered a scandal over the LDP’s decades-old, deep-rooted ties to the Unification Church, for which Kishida also came under criticism.
