According to Japan’s NHK public television and other media, the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida has told his party executives that he will not run in a party leadership vote scheduled for September. This means that Japan will have a new prime minister.
Fumio Kishida was elected president of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party in 2021 and his three-year term ends in September.
A new leader who wins the party vote will become the next prime minister given that the LDP controls both houses of parliament and now it is confirmed by Kishida exit from this race.
Kishida has been hit by his party’s corruption scandals which has seen him register support ratings below 20%.
He was due to explain why he had made up his mind in a press conference later on Monday.
Earlier disappointing local elections weakened his influence, while LDP lawmakers expressed their need for new blood ahead of the upcoming general election.
It involved more than 80 members of Shinzo Abe’s faction who are among the LDP’s main politicians who did not report political funds obtained through ticket sales at parties. Consequently, ten people including legislators and their employees were charged with crimes in January.
Since the scandal occurred where Kishida has had some Cabinet Ministers and other members involved in government removed from their post within party executive, disbanded factions that were accused as being sources for money-for-favor politics and enacted stricter laws on political funds control. However backing fro this administration has gradually waned away.
