Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba Urged To Resign, LDP Faces A Cracked Political Map

The photo archive - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during a state visit at the Bogor Palace, Bogor City, West Java, Saturday (11/1/2025). BETWEEN PHOTO/Aditya Pradana Putra/agr/aa.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reportedly expressed his intention to resign, said a senior government official, Sunday, September 7.

The decision comes a day before the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) determines whether to hold a presidential election ahead of schedule.

Ishiba's move came after he met former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Saturday night. The two figures, known close to Ishiba, are believed to have encouraged him to avoid internal divisions within the LDP body.

Quoted from Kyodo-OANA via Antara, Sunday night, Ishiba, who has served since October 2024, had previously opposed the LDP leadership election plan, according to sources close to him.

He even threatened to dissolve the DPR and hold a quick election, a move that sparked widespread rejection in the party.

The pressure for Ishiba to be responsible is increasing after the coalition he leads lost its majority in the high house elections in July.

Responding to this, the LDP plans to collect the signatures of lawmakers on Monday to decide whether the party's presidential election needs to be held sooner than the official schedule in 2027.

Criticism of Ishiba is getting tougher, even coming from his closest ally. Suga, who has served as prime minister for a year since September 2020, is reportedly worried that the leadership election will widen the brink of division in the party.

On Friday (5/9), Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki became the first cabinet member of Ishiba to publicly urge the party's presidential election. In a blog post, Suzuki said it was important for LDP to unite and regain public trust. Suzuki is a member of the former Prime Minister Taro Aso faction, who also called for the same thing.

Both Suga and Aso still have a big influence on the LDP. Suga now serves as vice president of the party, while Aso, who was a prime minister in 2008 '2009, has further positioned himself in the Ishiba administration.

Previously, on Tuesday (2/9), Ishiba stated that he would determine his political future at the right time. He still emphasized his determination to carry out a policy agenda, even though an official close to him said Ishiba was ready to resign from an important position in the party.

LDP itself has never held a leadership election in the middle of a term of office due to the majority decision. Ishiba was elected president of the LDP in his fifth attempt in October 2024, but his coalition of government lost a majority in the lower house by the end of the month.

Pada 20 Juli lalu, LDP bersama mitra koalisinya, Partai Komeito, juga kehilangan mayoritas dalam pemilu majelis tinggi, menambah tekanan politik bagi Ishiba.

- https://voi.id/berita/497989/pm-jepang-ishiba-bantah-akan-mundur-gara-gara-kalah-pemilu

- https://voi.id/berita/497358/pm-jepang-ishiba-janji-tetap-menjabat-meski-koalisi-kalah-telak-di-majelis-tinggi

- https://voi.id/berita/511880/kejagung-tetapkan-nadiem-makarim-tersangka-korupsi-chromebook

- https://voi.id/berita/509939/polres-lobar-periksa-polwan-istri-almarhum-brigadir-esco-yang-tewas-misterius

[/see_also]

On July 20, LDP together with its coalition partner, the Komeito Party, also lost the majority in the high house elections, adding to political pressure for Ishiba.