Tokyo
CNN
—
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced he will step down next month and not run for a second term as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, following a series of political scandals that have fueled calls for him to resign.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Kishida said it was necessary to present the LDP as a “changing party.”
“Transparent and open elections and free and lively debate are more important than ever. The clearest first step, to show that the LDP will change, is for me to step aside,” he said.
“I made this difficult decision with a strong desire to move forward with political reform, because it is the trust of the people that makes politics work.”
The Liberal Democratic Party, which has held power almost continuously since its founding in 1955, has in recent months been embroiled in one of Japan’s biggest political scandals in decades.
Two of the LDP’s most influential factions have been accused of failing to properly declare their income and expenses and, in some cases, of redirecting political funds to lawmakers as bribes.
Scandals surrounding several senior officials, some of whom have been accused of involvement in electoral law violations or making offensive comments against minorities in the past, have not helped.
Kishida has tried to contain the damage, replacing several cabinet ministers last year. But that has done little to restore public support; one opinion poll by the Mainichi Shimbun showed public dissatisfaction with the government at a record high of 79 percent.
Some respondents who reported declining support for Kishida and the LDP also pointed to the party’s close ties to the Unification Church religious group, which were exposed after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.
Kishida took office in October 2021, replacing Yoshihide Suga — who held the post for a year after Abe stepped down due to poor health in 2020.
Over his nearly three years in office, Kishida has pledged to take anti-corruption measures and carry out party reforms, including disbanding factions and taking disciplinary action against any corrupt lawmakers.
Concerns about the Japanese economy, including the weakness of the yen against the US dollar, have also undermined confidence in Kishida’s economic policies.
He had previously denied that he would step down as party leader despite public criticism and falling approval ratings.
His decision to resign comes a month before the Liberal Democratic Party’s scheduled election in September, the date of which has not yet been announced.
His successor will take over the world’s fourth-largest economy at a time of rising living costs, exacerbated by a weak yen.
Japan has been at the heart of U.S. President Joe Biden’s efforts to build alliances in the Asia-Pacific region. U.S. officials have seen Kishida as a willing partner, having dramatically changed the country’s defense posture in recent years and provided continued support to Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.
In April, Biden hosted Kishida on a state visit, where the Japanese leader addressed a joint session of Congress and praised bilateral relations.
US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel told CNN that Kishida worked with Biden to write “the first chapter of a new era in US-Japan relations.”
“They laid the foundation for future bilateral cooperation in all areas, including diplomatic, security, economic and political aspects, establishing a strategic vision working network for the Indo-Pacific region.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
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