TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced that he will not seek a second term as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Under Japan's parliamentary system, the leader of the ruling party becomes prime minister. The LDP elects its president every three years. The next election of the party chief is due in September.
'Transparent and open elections and a free and vigorous debate are more important than ever. The most obvious first step, to show that the LDP will change, is for me to step aside,' Kishida said at a press conference on Wednesday.
'I have made the heavy decision with a strong desire to move forward with political reform, because the people's trust is what makes politics work,' he told reporters.
Kishida's approval ratings had plummeted in the wake of a series of political scandals involving his party, that have fueled calls for his resignation.
Rising living costs and the weakening of the yen against the US dollar undermined confidence in the 67-year-old veteran leader's economic policies.
After becoming Prime Minister in 2021, Kishida had promised to take anti corruption measures and reform the party, which had been in power for most of the post-World War II era.
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