a day ago
Rift deepens within Japan's ruling LDP as Ishiba stays as PM
A division within Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is deepening as its leader and Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru reiterated his intention to remain in office. The party suffered a bitter defeat in the recent Upper House election.
The LDP held a meeting of lawmakers from both houses of the Diet on Monday, following the loss in the election earlier this month.
Discussions continued for four and a half hours, even though the meeting was originally scheduled to last two hours.
Ishiba said at the meeting that he would do his utmost to see that the agreement reached in tariff negotiations with the United States gets implemented without fail.
He said he should watch over future agricultural policies, social security and tax systems, and he wants to fulfill his responsibility to the state and the Japanese people and avoid creating a political vacuum.
LDP Secretary-General Moriyama Hiroshi expressed readiness to clarify his responsibility for the election results when a report analyzing them is drawn up.
More than 60 out of about 240 participants commented during the meeting. Some showed support for Ishiba staying in power, but others disputed it.
One said Ishiba's intention goes against the opinion shown by voters in the election and creates a political vacuum, and is calling on him to step down after the party finishes its election analysis. Others called for a snap party presidential election.
After the meeting, Ishiba said he will make a proper decision based on various opinions, but reiterated his intention to remain in office, saying that he would fulfill responsibilities that should be fulfilled.
Meanwhile, the party leadership plans to convene a meeting of executives on Tuesday to favorably discuss holding the LDP Joint Plenary Meeting, for which mainly mid-ranking and young lawmakers are petitioning.
The gathering is the party's decision-making meeting, and those who want Ishiba to resign are trying to step up pressure on him by holding it.
