Muthomi Ireri
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced that he will not seek re-election as the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the upcoming party elections, effectively signaling that the country will soon have a new prime minister. During a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday, Kishida stated that it was time for new leadership within the LDP and pledged his full support for whoever succeeds him.
“In this election, it is essential to show the public that the LDP is evolving into a new party,” Kishida said. “To demonstrate this change, we need transparent and open elections along with free and vigorous debate. The most evident way to show that the LDP is changing is for me to step aside. Therefore, I will not be running in the forthcoming presidential election.”
Japanese media, including the national broadcaster NHK, reported earlier that Kishida had informed senior administration officials of his decision not to run.
Kishida, who became party president in September 2021 for a three-year term and won a general election shortly after, has seen his approval ratings plummet. The decline in support is largely due to a significant corruption scandal within the LDP involving unreported political funds raised through ticket sales for party events. The scandal has implicated over 80 LDP lawmakers, mostly from a major faction previously led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with 10 individuals—lawmakers and their aides—being indicted in January.
Michael Cucek, a Japanese politics expert at Tokyo’s Temple University, commented, “He’s been a dead man walking for quite some time,” pointing out that public dissatisfaction with Kishida was linked to the LDP’s connections with the former Unification Church, which became apparent after Abe’s assassination, as well as slush fund scandals and the yen’s devaluation, which intensified inflation pressures.
The winner of the party leadership race will face numerous challenges as they step into the role of prime minister, which traditionally goes to the leader of the party holding the most seats in parliament.
Kenta Izumi, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, noted that the issues plaguing Kishida remain unresolved. “These problems are still unsolved,” he remarked on social media platform X.
Kishida, known for his consensus-building approach and his previous role as foreign minister, assumed office after Yoshihide Suga, who was criticized for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Kishida’s leadership, Japan committed to doubling its defense spending to the NATO standard of two percent of GDP by 2027, marking a significant shift from the country’s long-standing pacifist policies—a move encouraged by the United States amid growing concerns over China’s assertive stance in the Asia-Pacific region.
In April, Kishida visited the United States, where the two nations announced a “new era” of cooperation. In July, Japan and the Philippines signed a defense pact, allowing the deployment of troops on each other’s territory.
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