Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will not seek re-election as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which he says needs a “new start”.
The 67-year-old LDP veteran is expected to step down as PM after the party elects a new leader in September.
Support for Mr Kishida, who has been PM since 2021, has fallen in the wake of a corruption scandal involving his party, rising living costs and a slumping yen.
His approval ratings had plummeted to 15.5% last month – the lowest for a PM in more than a decade.
Within the party, some have doubted whether Mr Kishida can lead the LDP to a win in the next general election due in 2025. The party has been in power almost continuously since 1955.
Still, LDP leaders were shocked by Mr Kishida’s announcement.
A senior leader told broadcaster NHK that he had tried to persuade Mr Kishida to run for office, but the prime minister said that would have been “irresponsible”.
