Kishida Withdraws from LDP Leadership Contest

At a press conference on August 14, 2024, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced that he would not stand in the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election set to take place in September. As the president of the main ruling party is tapped to serve as prime minister, this also means he will be stepping down from his premiership. Since coming to power on October 4, 2021, Kishida has spent more than 1,000 days in office, and is the eighth longest serving postwar prime minister behind Kishi Nobusuke.

Kishida opened the press conference by saying that having talked with Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai by telephone, he had completed the diplomatic discussions on his summer agenda, and that after the mid-August Obon holiday, preparations for the LDP election would come into full swing.

“At this election, it’s vital that we clearly demonstrate to the public that the LDP has changed,” Kishida said. “It’s important to hold a transparent contest with free and frank debate. The first step to making this transformation obvious is for me to withdraw, so I will not run in the election.”

Kishida responded to the slush fund scandal that engulfed the LDP through reforms including the disbandment of factions and changes to the Political Funds Control Act, but could not dispel criticism and has suffered consistently low support levels.

Regarding the scandal, Kishida said, “As the head of the party, I show no hesitation at all in taking responsibility.” He added that he had made up his mind to do so from the beginning. “Having come to an opportune time in the diplomatic schedule, I’d like to make a clean break by stepping aside ahead of the election.”

Kishida also commented on the upcoming leadership race: “Japan faces a severe outlook. In this election, I want to see those people who think they can tackle it stepping forward and engaging in serious debate.” He also stressed the importance of implementing a form of politics that can win the support of citizens. “I intend to cast my own vote for the person capable of doing this,” he said.

There has already been some movement by potential candidates ahead of the September election, and this is certain to heat up as a result of today’s news.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: Prime Minister Kishida announces at the Kantei on August 14, 2024, that he will not run in September’s LDP presidential election. © Reuters; pool photo.)