Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Aug. 14 he will not run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election slated for September, guaranteeing that Japan will have a new prime minister after the LDP’s leadership race.
“The easiest way to clearly show that the LDP has changed is for me to step aside,” Kishida said at a news conference shortly after the news broke. He said that he will not be running in the upcoming LDP presidential election.
“The government won’t be able to push key policies forward unless there is sufficient trust in politics and politicians,” he said, explaining the reasoning behind his decision.
Kishida said he will support whoever is chosen as party president as a “rank-and-file member.”
But he refused to comment on who he would back in the race, simply saying that he hopes someone who is reform-minded will be elected.
Kishida cited the LDP’s political funds scandal as one of the reasons for stepping down, saying that, as party leader, he should take responsibility for what happened.
In the news conference, Kishida expressed his hopes that a newly elected leader will build a “dream team” that can gain the “trust and empathy” of the people and tackle the challenges Japan is facing. (The Japan Times)
毎週届く！
