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Japan PM Fumio Kishida quits LDP leadership race as low ratings, scandals take toll
- The Liberal Democratic Party will hold a leadership contest next month, with the winner to become prime minister
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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday he will not seek re-election as head of his party, meaning the end of his premiership after just under three years.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan almost uninterrupted since 1945, is due to hold a leadership contest next month, with the winner to become prime minister.
“In this [party] presidential election, it is necessary to show the people that the LDP is changing and the party is a new LDP,” Kishida told reporters in Tokyo.
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“For this, transparent and open elections and free and vigorous debate are important. The most obvious first step to show that the LDP will change is for me to step aside,” he said.
Kishida, 67, in office since October 2021, has seen his and his party’s poll ratings slide sharply in response to rising prices hitting Japanese incomes and several scandals.
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In November, Kishida announced a stimulus package worth 17 trillion yen (more than US$100 billion at the time) as he tried to ease the pressure from inflation and rescue his premiership.
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