Photo credit: www.cbc.ca
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has confirmed that he will not seek reelection in the upcoming leadership vote for his party, signaling a change in leadership for Japan as his three-year term wraps up next month.
Kishida, who has served as the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 2021, is set to complete his term in September.
His decision to withdraw from the race means that a new leader from within the LDP will take over as prime minister, given the party’s majority control in both chambers of the Japanese parliament.
Faced with a series of corruption scandals affecting his administration, Kishida’s popularity has plummeted, with recent polls indicating support for his government has dropped below 20 percent.
The Prime Minister was scheduled to address his decision at a news conference later on Wednesday.
Calls for New Leadership
The LDP’s defeat in recent local elections has diminished Kishida’s influence within the party, prompting a call among lawmakers for a new figurehead as the nation approaches the next general elections.
In response to the growing discontent, Kishida has made significant changes by removing various cabinet ministers from their roles and dissolving party factions that have been criticized for promoting a culture of political patronage.
Despite these efforts, public support for his administration continues to wane.
The ongoing corruption scandal involves undisclosed political funds generated from ticket sales to party events, implicating over 80 members of the LDP, primarily from a prominent faction once led by the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated in 2022.
As a result of the investigations, ten individuals, including lawmakers and their aides, faced indictments earlier this year.
Source
www.cbc.ca