Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida resigned: Why did Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida resign: A visionary step or a compulsion?

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Wednesday that he will not run in the upcoming party leadership vote scheduled for September, making way for a the new prime minister.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) controls both houses of parliament, ensuring that its president automatically assumes the nation’s top political office.
Kishida, who was elected president of the PLD in 2021, will leave so that party can present a renewed image to the people.
“We must clearly show a reborn LDP,” Kishida told a news conference. “To show a changing PDL, the most obvious first step is to move away.” He emphasized the importance of this decision by adding: “I will not run in the upcoming elections for the leadership of the party.”

Decline in popularity and corruption scandals

In recent months, Kishida’s popularity has declined, with support ratings falling below 20%. His administration was marred by a series of corruption scandals within the party that significantly undermined him public trust.
Kishida said that for policies that address complex domestic and international issues to be effective, regaining public trust is essential. “Once a new leader is decided, I hope to see everyone come together and form a dream team to deliver a policy that can win public understanding,” he said.
Kishida revealed that he had been thinking about resigning for some time, but wanted to make sure his key policies were on track before stepping down. His major policy initiatives included a return to nuclear power, a substantial military buildup to respond to regional security threats, improved relations with South Korea, and political reforms.

The way forward for the LDP

Following Kishida’s announcement, speculation about potential party leadership candidates grew. The candidates include Party General Secretary Toshimitsu Motegi, Digital Minister Taro Kono, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa. The new leader, once elected, will be endorsed as the new prime minister in a parliamentary vote shortly after party elections.
The LDP executives are to decide the date of the party elections next week. Kishida’s tenure also saw him take steps to address the fallout from the corruption scandal, including removing several Cabinet ministers and other party officials from their posts, dissolving party factions involved in money-for-favour politics, and tightening funding political. control laws. Despite these measures, support for his government continued to erode.
The scandal involved undeclared political funds raised through the sale of tickets for party events and implicated more than 80 LDP lawmakers, many from a major faction formerly led by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe’s assassination exposed long-standing connections between the LDP and the Unification Church, further complicating Kishida’s position. The January indictments targeted ten people, including lawmakers and their aides.
The LDP’s declining popularity was also reflected in electoral failures. Losses in local elections earlier this year have further diminished Kishida’s influence within the party, and there has been a growing call from LDP lawmakers for new leadership ahead of the next general election. Major defeats in Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly by-elections in July added to the pressure for change at the top.
Kishida remains confident that a new leader will revitalize the party and restore public confidence. He urged the party parliamentary aspirants to actively participate in driving race and engage in political debate during the campaign to present a united front.