Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Wednesday, August 14, 2024, that he will resign next September. He is succumbing to public discontent over political scandals and rising living costs that have marred his three-year term.
“Politics cannot function without public trust. I made this heavy decision with the public in mind, with the firm intention of pushing forward political reform,” he said at a press conference to reveal his decision not to run for re-election as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan.
In this regard, the LDP will hold an election in September to replace him as president of the ruling party. And therefore, by extension, as Prime Minister of Japan.
Kishida’s approval ratings began to plummet after he took office in 2021, following revelations about the LDP’s ties to the controversial Unification Church. His popularity was further dented by the scandal over a slush fund of unregistered political donations made at LDP fundraising events.
He also had to contend with public discontent over the failure of wages to keep pace with rising living costs as the country finally recovered from years of deflationary pressure.
“A departing LDP prime minister cannot run for president if he is not assured of victory. It is like the great yokozunas of sumo. It is not just about winning, but winning with grace,” concludes Koichi Nakano, professor of political science at Sophia University.
