Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced Wednesday that he will step down in September rather than seek reelection. Kishida’s support has steadily eroded during his three years in office due to economic troubles and a string of political scandals.
“Politics cannot function without public trust,” Kishida said at a press conference on Wednesday, conceding that public trust in his government has declined to untenable levels.
“I made this heavy decision thinking of the public, with the strong will to push political reform forward,” he said, expressing faith in his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its platform.
“We need to clearly show an LDP reborn. In order to show a changing LDP, the most obvious first step is for me to bow out,” he said.
“Once a new leader is decided, I hope to see everyone unite and form a dream team to achieve politics that can gain…
