Japan ruling party to elect new leader next month

ANKARA

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is set to hold its leadership election on Sept. 27 to select a successor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, local media reported on Tuesday.

The party’s election committee will officially announce the date on Sept. 12, according to NHK.

Prime Minister Kishida, whose three-year term ends next month, has confirmed he will not seek reelection.

"The election will be an opportunity for us to show a reformed LDP," Kishida said during a party election committee meeting, as quoted by Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

Kishida, who has been in office since October 2021, will step down amid a political funds scandal and controversy over the Unification Church’s connections to ruling lawmakers. Despite his efforts to reform the party, including disbanding factions, Kishida’s approval ratings have plummeted to as low as 20%.

His decision not to run for the LDP leadership paves the way for a new party leader.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid