Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida resigns before Shigeru Ishiba’s swearing-in – Dainik Savera Times
Tokyo: Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida resigned along with his cabinet on Tuesday. According to local media, this marked the end of his three-year tenure marred by political scandals and rising inflation. Meanwhile, Shigeru Ishiba, 67, leader of Japan’s ruling party, was elected as prime minister by the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
According to the report, Kishida administration ministers submitted their resignation letters en masse at a cabinet meeting. This meeting started after 9 am local time. The meeting discussed the appointment of a new Cabinet, which will be led by Kishida’s successor, Shigeru Ishiba.
Kishida became the PM of Japan on October 4, 2021. The image of the ruling party suffered a severe blow during his tenure, especially due to the slush fund scam. For this reason he announced to leave his post. Earlier on Monday, Shigeru Ishiba said that he was planning to hold general elections on October 27. He said the lower house of parliament would be dissolved on October 9. The former Defense Minister stressed the importance of getting the public mandate as soon as possible.
According to the information received, Ishiba on Friday won the leadership election of the country’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) by defeating Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi. In a press conference held after his victory, Ishiba promised to do his best to rebuild trust and unity within the LDP. He stressed on making LDP a party that is polite, fair and transparent.
This was Ishiba’s fifth bid for the LDP leadership. Over the last few years, his image has been developed as an experienced policy expert with deep knowledge of defense and agriculture. Ishiba faces some big immediate challenges. These include restoring public confidence in the LDP, whose image has been deeply dented by the slush fund scandal. His leadership will also be tested on the international stage with growing security concerns from China, North Korea and Russia.
