Japan set for new PM

TOKYO, Aug 14 (BBC): 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.

"In the upcoming presidential election, it's necessary to show the people that the Liberal Democratic Party will change," Mr Kishida said at a press conference on Wednesday announcing his decision.

"A transparent and open election, and free and open debate are important. The first easy-to-understand step that indicates that the LDP will change is for me to step back," he said.

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".

A member of Mr Kishida's faction in the party called the decision "very regrettable and unfortunate", adding that tehe PM "had a good record in foreign policy, defence policy, and domestic politics, but he was forced to [step down] due to the issue of politics and money."

Analysts have told the BBC that Japan is going through a "once-in-a-generation" political crisis as the ruling party fights to clean up its image.

Last December, four LDP cabinet ministers resigned within a fortnight over a fundraising scandal involving the ruling party's most powerful faction.