Within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), divisions have emerged over Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s future following his major loss in the Senate election. Despite the growing expectation that he should resign, Ishiba has expressed his intention to stay on and is keen to address the recent Japan-U.S. tariff agreement. However, factions within the LDP, including members from the former Abe, former Motegi, and Aso factions, are pushing for him to take responsibility, intensifying pressure for his resignation by collecting signatures to hold a party meeting. It’s also been revealed that Taro Aso and former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida showed reluctance towards Ishiba’s continuation in their meetings with him on the 23rd.
On the 24th, Ishiba spoke at a meeting with prefectural assembly chairpersons, stating his commitment to addressing issues arising from the tariff deal by listening to local voices. Within the party, some believe the agreement weakens his justification for staying in office. Nonetheless, Ishiba plans to continue supporting affected businesses. After the meeting, Muneo Suzuki, who visited Ishiba, reported that the Prime Minister acknowledged the variety of opinions regarding his potential resignation and emphasized his desire to further develop Japan-U.S. relations based on the tariff agreement.
by MagazineKey4532