The Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, has concluded plans not to seek re-election as the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) during the party polls, a development that indicates the country will have a new prime minister.
Kishida said it was time for a new face at the helm of the LDP and that he would fully support the new leadership of the ruling party.
Addressing newsmen in Tokyo, the country’s capital, he emphasized the need for transparent and open elections, and vigorous debate to show the people that the LDP is changing.
Kishida was elected party president in September 2021 for a three-year term and won a general election shortly afterward.
The prime minister’s decision on Wednesday came amid a major corruption scandal within the LDP surrounding unreported political funds, which has sharply fallen his approval ratings.
Over 80 LDP lawmakers mostly belonging to a major party faction previously led by assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, have been caught up in the scandal, and 10 people were indicted in January.
Experts say Kishida’s departure was expected due to public discontent with the LDP’s entanglements with the former Unification Church and slush fund scandals.
“Public discontent with Kishida was connected with the LDP’s entanglements with the former Unification Church, which became apparent after Abe’s assassination, as well as slush fund scandals, and the slide in the yen that increased inflation pressures.”
The next party leader will face challenges, including solving the problems that led to Kishida’s downfall, which goes to the leader of the party with the most seats in parliament. Kenta Izumi, the leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party, the country’s main opposition party, noted that the issues which had caused trouble for Kishida has not gone away.
Kishida, a former foreign minister with a reputation as a consensus builder, took on the top job from Yoshihide Suga who was criticised for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Kishida, Japan pledged to double its defence spending to the NATO standard of two percent of GDP by 2027.
