Shigeru Ishiba serves as Prime Minister

On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced that tariff negotiations with the United States had been completed and he would resign. The 68-year-old said in a press conference that he had notified the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for an emergency leadership competition. At the same time, he will continue to hold duties until his successor is elected. Ispibon’s resignation comes after two disastrous election results. The Liberal Democratic Party and its junior joint party Komeito lost a majority in the House of Commons vote in October last year. Then, they encountered the same fate in the House of Lords election in July.

After the House of Lords election, local media reported that the prime minister is expected to resign at the end of August. Ishiba denied the rumors. However, the pressure within the party has continued, with the least developed countries holding him accountable for the disappointing election results. One of his most voiced critics is Taro Aso, who served as prime minister from 2008 to 2009. He told the station that he was “unacceptable” Ishiba continued to move forward. However, he persisted, so the dissatisfied MPs discussed ways to force him to leave.

According to reports

The party will decide today whether to hold an early presidential election (which will not expire until 2027), and if approved, it is a virtual motion of distrust against Ishiba. Finally, he made a decision for them. The day before the announcement, Ibon met with Minister of Agriculture Shinjiro Koizumi and former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at his official residence. It is believed that the two suggested that he resign before the vote on Monday to prevent a split within the party. It is reported that in 2021, Koizumi also encouraged Suga to step down.

“I always say I won’t stick to this post and decide to quit at the right time after doing what I need to do,” Ishiba said in a television press conference. “It’s time for me to quit, because our tariff negotiations are over and I decided to pass the baton to the next person. I made a painful decision to resign, think about some of the issues I need to accomplish. I think if there is a continued problem of extraordinary presidential election, I think a decisive division can be made within the party.

Potential successor

Now, attention turns to taking over his game. The two early leaders were Koizumi and Sanae Takaichi. Hawkish MPs often quote Margaret Thatcher as character mode, and Takaichi is keen on revising Japan’s pacifist constitution. She also objected to same-sex marriage and dual surnames after marriage. If elected, she will become the first female prime minister in Japan’s history. Meanwhile, if elected, Kausumi will become the youngest leader in modern history. In a joint opinion survey in June, he asked the public who they want as the country’s next prime minister.

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