Kishida Replaces Abe Faction Ministers Today... Voices Within the Party Say "Kishida Should Step Down"

Replacement of Four Ministers Including Chief Cabinet Secretary
Next Election Candidates Also Criticize "Kishida Must Resign in March"

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, cornered by the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) political slush fund scandal, has decided to cut ties with the controversial 'Abe faction.' The seats vacated by the largest faction within the LDP, led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, will be filled by members of the 'anti-Abe faction.' However, analysts say it will be difficult to turn the tide as the Kishida administration's approval ratings have already hit rock bottom. Instead, calls for Kishida's resignation are emerging within the party.

On the 14th, major Japanese media outlets including NHK reported that Prime Minister Kishida would make personnel changes for the Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Yoshimasa Hayashi, former Foreign Minister, will be appointed Chief Cabinet Secretary; former Justice Minister Gen Saito will become Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry; former Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Takeaki Matsumoto will return to his previous post; and former Minister for Regional Revitalization Tetsushi Sakamoto will be appointed Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The day before, Kishida stated at a press conference, "It is appropriate to swiftly carry out personnel changes tomorrow in line with the end of the Diet session."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former Foreign Minister Hayashi is a prominent figure of the Kishida faction, and Kishida replaced all positions previously held by members of the Abe faction with individuals from other factions or those with weak factional ties. NHK reported, "Through this personnel reshuffle, Prime Minister Kishida appears to be aiming to rebuild the administration and regain public trust."

However, there are forecasts that this reshuffle will further destabilize the administration. Even if the core positions of the administration, such as Chief Cabinet Secretary and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry?often called the 'number two' of the administration?are replaced and former ministers are recycled in a 'musical chairs' style, it is unlikely to gain momentum. The Kishida Cabinet's approval rating has already hit its lowest point since the LDP took power. Recent approval ratings have stagnated in the 20% range. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) pointed out, "The Abe faction was involved in key policy decisions of the Kishida administration, such as strengthening defense capabilities and monetary easing. If these actors change, it will affect the progress of future policies."

Amid this situation, the political slush fund scandal is spreading even to members of the Kishida faction, which Kishida leads. The possibility that prosecutors will soon target the sitting prime minister cannot be ruled out. The day before, the main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, submitted a no-confidence motion against the Kishida Cabinet to the Diet.

Within the LDP, calls for Kishida to take responsibility and resign are gaining traction. On the 11th, Shigeru Ishiba, a former LDP secretary-general and a leading candidate for the next prime minister, mentioned in a media interview, "One option is to resign after the next year's budget is passed." Since the budget is usually approved by the end of March, this can be interpreted as a specific indication of the timing for resignation.

However, there is also analysis that an early resignation by Kishida is unlikely. Nikkei reported, "At this point, Ishiba is the only person within the LDP mentioning Kishida's resignation," adding, "Kishida has no intention of stepping down, and within the party, there is a belief that even replacing the prime minister will not solve the situation."