Prime Minister Fumio Kushida said the LDP needed a new face to shake off the shadow of the corruption scandal that has hung over the party in recent months.
ADVERTISINGJapan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a surprise announcement on Wednesday that he would not run in the upcoming party leadership election in September, paving the way for a new prime minister in Japan.
Kishida was elected president of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) 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 that it is changing for the better, said Kishida, adding that he would support the new chairman.
“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.”
The corruption scandal surrounding his party hit Kishida hard, and his approval ratings fell to below 20 percent.
At the heart of the misconduct are unreported political donations raised through ticket sales to party events. More than 80 LDP lawmakers were affected, most of them belonging to a large party faction previously led by assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The murder sparked a scandal over the LDP’s decades-long, deep-rooted ties to the Unification Church, for which Kishida also came under criticism.
Restore trust
Regaining public trust in politics is crucial to taking political action to address difficult situations in Japan and abroad, 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 appointed, 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 resigning for some time but had waited until he could implement his key policy goals, including an energy policy that includes a return to nuclear power, a drastic military buildup to deal with security threats in the region, improving relations with South Korea and political reforms.
Speculation about possible candidates has also extended to several 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 removed 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, a total of ten people – MPs and their staff – were indicted.
Despite Kishida’s efforts, support for his government has waned.
Defeats in local elections earlier this year have undermined his influence, and LDP lawmakers have expressed the need for a new face ahead of the next general election. Big losses in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly by-election in July have also added to the pressure.
