Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Announces Resignation in September
Decision comes after corruption scandals saw support for his party drop below 20 percent.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that he will not run in the upcoming party leadership contest in September, paving the way for a new prime minister.
Speaking at a press conference, Kishida, the president of his governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), said the party must clearly demonstrate to the public a revised image through open and transparent elections.
“The first and most obvious step to show the LDP is changing is for me to step down,” Kishida said. “I will not be running in the upcoming presidential election.”
Japan’s NHK public television first reported the news.
Kishida was elected president of the LDP in 2021. His three-year term expires in September.
The Japanese prime minister’s decision means that a new party leader will succeed him as prime minister as the LDP controls both houses of Parliament.
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The decision to step down comes after corruption scandals saw support for the LDP drop below 20 percent.
Following the scandals, Kishida dismissed several cabinet ministers, removed key party executives, disbanded factions criticized as the source of money-for-favor politics, and tightened political funding laws. Despite these measures, his government’s support has declined.
The scandal involves unreported political funds from party event ticket sales, implicating over 80 LDP lawmakers, mostly from a faction previously led by the late Shinzo Abe. In January, 10 lawmakers and aides were indicted.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
