Tokyo
CNN
—
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will not run for a second term as leader of the long-serving ruling Liberal Democratic Party next month after a series of political scandals sparked calls for his resignation.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Kishida said it was necessary to present the LDP as a “changed party”.
“Transparent and open elections and free and lively debate are more important than ever. The most obvious first step to show that the LDP will change is for me to resign,” he said.
“I made this difficult decision because I have a strong desire to push forward political reforms, because people’s trust is what makes politics work.”
The LDP, which has been in power almost continuously since its founding in 1955, has been embroiled in one of Japan’s biggest political scandals in decades in recent months.
Two of the LDP’s most influential factions have been accused of improperly declaring their income and expenses and, in some cases, allegedly diverting political funds as bribes to lawmakers.
During his nearly three years in office, Kishida has promised to take anti-corruption measures and implement party reforms, including dissolving factions and taking disciplinary action against corrupt lawmakers.
Concerns about Japan’s economy, including the weakening of the yen against the US dollar, have also undermined confidence in Kishida’s economic policies.
Despite public criticism and falling approval ratings, he had previously denied resigning from the party leadership.
His decision to resign comes one month before the scheduled LDP elections; the date in September has yet to be announced.
His successor will be tasked with leading the world’s fourth-largest economy at a time of rising living costs, exacerbated by the weak yen.
Japan is at the heart of U.S. President Joe Biden’s alliance-building efforts in the Asia-Pacific region, with U.S. officials seeing Kishida as a willing partner who has significantly changed the country’s defense posture in recent years and provided sustained support to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.
Kishida, together with Biden, wrote “the first chapter of a new era in U.S.-Japan relations,” U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel told CNN.
“They laid the foundation for the future of bilateral cooperation in all areas, including diplomatic, security, economic and political, and thus formed the framework of a strategic vision for the Indo-Pacific.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
