29-07-2025
LDP Lawmakers Meeting: Does The Prime Minister Want To See Trust in The Party Plunge?
If internal strife continues, the Liberal Democratic Party as a whole could be abandoned by the people. Is this what its president wants? The only way to settle the confusion would be for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to announce as quickly as possible his intention to resign.
At an informal meeting of LDP lawmakers from both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors, Ishiba said, 'I will face the future with the resolve to dedicate myself to the nation and the people,' emphasizing his determination to continue to run the government.
He explained his reasoning by citing the need to address issues such as U.S. tariff measures, rice policy and debates over social security and taxes.
In response, a succession of lawmakers expressed their view that it was unreasonable for the prime minister not to take responsibility for the series of defeats — in the lower house election last year, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election in June and the recent upper house election. Many also called for a general meeting of the party's lawmakers from both houses of the Diet, which is the party's formal decision-making organ, unlike the informal meeting.
The Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations have concluded, although there are still outstanding issues such as the lack of a written agreement. Agricultural policy and social security reform will be important issues for any future cabinet.
The prime minister's arguments do not justify his resolve to stay on. Respecting the will of the people that has been repeatedly expressed is a prerequisite for tackling policy matters.
If the leader who is responsible for national politics acts as if the election never happened, trust in politics will continue to plunge. Will the LDP, which calls itself a party of the people, survive? It is being tested on its ability to cleanse itself.
Within the LDP, moves to bring Ishiba down are accelerating.
It is said that more than the one-third of party members in the Diet required to convene a general meeting have already signed a petition demanding one. Lawmakers critical of the prime minister are aiming to use the meeting to bring forward the LDP presidential election.
There have been fierce internal party struggles in the past. A campaign to oust then Prime Minister Takeo Miki by major party factions and the '40-Day Strife' among factions during the administration of then Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira are well-known examples.
However, with difficult issues such as population decline and the deteriorating security environment, there is no room for a power struggle.
The prime minister has already made up his mind to step down. However, he has not decided when to announce his intention to do so.
Meanwhile, demonstrations demanding the prime minister's continued tenure have been held outside the Prime Minister's Office following the upper house election. Posts such as 'Ishiba, don't resign,' have also appeared on social media.
Some within the party view these activities as being conducted by forces trying to tarnish the party's reputation by stirring up internal strife, not by LDP supporters.
It would be a mistake to interpret such moves as public opinion being in favor of the prime minister remaining in office.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 29, 2025)
