"Only 3 Places Nationwide Support 'Kishida's Reelection Hope'... Losing Influence Within the Party"

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is recording his lowest approval ratings, and voices within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are calling for him to not run in the upcoming LDP presidential election this September.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Asahi Shimbun reported on the 23rd that a survey conducted in mid-month targeting the secretaries of the LDP's local organizations across all 47 prefectures found that only three locations, including Kishida's hometown of Hiroshima, expressed a desire for Kishida to be re-elected as party president. Five locations responded that they did not wish for his re-election, while the remaining 39 either answered "don't know," "other," or did not respond. The newspaper analyzed this as “a recent indication of Kishida's lack of intra-party support.”

Within the party, there are openly voiced demands for Kishida's resignation or for him not to seek re-election as party president. If Kishida fails to secure re-election in the LDP presidential election this September, it could lead to a change in the prime ministership. Japan operates under a parliamentary system where the leader of the majority party becomes the prime minister.

House of Representatives member Kuniyoshi Azuma said at a party meeting held yesterday in Hokkaido, "I hope Prime Minister Kishida refrains from mentioning re-election and gives up." He also stated, "I hope he plays a role in opening a new chapter for the LDP. The party has abundant talent." Azuma is a member of the Motegi faction, led by party secretary-general Toshimitsu Motegi, who is considered a potential future leader.

Representative Hiroaki Saito also made remarks hinting at Kishida's resignation during his political fundraising event on the 16th, saying, "Ultimately, someone must take responsibility for reaching this situation." He belongs to the "Aso faction," led by LDP Vice President Taro Aso, who has supported the Kishida Cabinet. At that time, the Asahi Shimbun noted, "This appears to be the first time a sitting LDP lawmaker has officially mentioned the idea of Prime Minister Kishida's resignation in a formal setting," highlighting its significance.

The approval ratings for the LDP and the current Kishida Cabinet remain extremely low. According to a telephone survey conducted by the Asahi Shimbun on the 15th and 16th of this month with 1,012 valid respondents, the LDP's support rate dropped 5 percentage points from the previous month to 19%, and the Kishida Cabinet's approval rating fell 2 percentage points to 22%. The LDP's support rate is lower than during former Prime Minister Taro Aso's tenure in 2009 when the party lost power to the Democratic Party, and the Kishida Cabinet's approval rating is the lowest since its inception in 2021.