Fumio Kishida, Japan’s Prime Minister has announced he will step down next month and will not run for a second term as leader of the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party, following a series of political scandals that fuelled calls for him to resign.
The 67-year-old leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party(LDP) announced this in a press conference on Wednesday, he said it is necessary to present the LDP as a “changed party.”
“Transparent and open elections and a free and vigorous debate are more important than ever. The most obvious first step, to show that the LDP will change, is for me to step aside,” he said.
“I have made the heavy decision with a strong desire to move forward with political reform, because the people’s trust is what makes politics work.”
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Support for Mr Kishida, who has been PM since 2021, has fallen in the wake of a corruption scandal involving his party, rising living costs and a slumping yen.
His approval ratings had plummeted to 15.5% last month – the lowest for a PM in more than a decade.
According to CNN, Two of the most influential factions in the LDP have been accused of failing to properly declare their income and expenditure and, in some instances, allegedly rerouting political funds to lawmakers as kickbacks.
Scandals surrounding several high-ranking officials haven’t helped, with some accused of involvement with election law violations or of offensive past comments against minorities.
Kishida had tried to contain the damage, replacing several cabinet ministers last year. But that hasn’t done much to restore public support; one survey by the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper showed a historic high in public disapproval toward the cabinet, at 79%
The LDP veteran is expected to step down as PM after the party elects a new leader in September.
Within the party, some have doubted whether Kishida can lead the LDP to a win in the next general election due in 2025. The party has been in power almost continuously since 1955.
Still, LDP leaders were shocked by Mr Kishida’s announcement.
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A senior leader told broadcaster NHK that he had tried to persuade Kishida to run for office, but the prime minister said that would have been “irresponsible”.
A member of Kishida’s faction in the party called the decision “very regrettable and unfortunate”, adding that the PM “had a good record in foreign policy, defense policy, and domestic politics, but he was forced to [step down] due to the issue of politics and money.”
Kishida took office in October 2021, replacing Yoshihide Suga – who occupied the role for a year after Abe stood down with ill health in 2020.
He was first elected to the House in 1993. He went on to become Japan’s longest-serving foreign minister when he held the post between 2012 and 2017.
During nearly three years in office, Kishida has vowed to take anti-corruption measures and institute party reforms, including dissolving factions and taking disciplinary action against any corrupt lawmakers.
Concerns about Japan’s economy, including the weakening of the yen against the US dollar, have also undermined confidence in Kishida’s economic policies.
He had previously denied he would step down as party leader despite public criticism and sinking ratings.
His decision to quit comes a month before LDP elections are slated, with the date in September yet to be announced.
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