Janice R. Andrews
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader in Japan, Fumio Kishida, declared on Wednesday that he will not run for reelection, so terminating his term in office. September marks the end of Kishida’s three-year tenure as head of the LDP.
During a live news conference, Kishida vowed to carry out his mandate until the conclusion of his tenure, saying, “I will continue to do everything I can as prime minister until the end of my term in September.” Given that the LDP controls both chambers of parliament, his declaration sets the stage for a leadership competition inside the party to choose his successor, who will also serve as the next prime minister.
Kishida implied that he made the choice because he wanted to bring the LDP back to life. “Transparent and open elections” and “free and vigorous debate” inside the party are important, he said. With the public’s unhappiness over rising living costs and a huge financing scandal involving over 80 LDP lawmakers—many of whom were members of a group previously led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe—Kishida’s popularity ratings have sharply decreased, going below 20%.
With Kishida getting ready to step down, the contest to name Japan’s next leader has officially started.
