With three months to go until the Liberal Democratic Party chooses a new leader, pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida from within his own party to not seek another term as party president.
The unpopular prime minister has not yet formally announced whether he will seek another three-year term at the LDP’s September presidential election. To questions about a possible reelection bid, he has repeatedly said that his priority is on tackling political issues that cannot be postponed.
But veteran LDP lawmakers fear the party is in deep trouble under Kishida and could lose control of the government in a general election. Younger members in particular are worried about their own vulnerability in a party led by an unpopular president and are growing increasingly outspoken for a change at the top.