With three months to go before the Liberal Democratic Party elects a new leader, pressure is increasing on Prime Minister Fumio Kishida from his own party not to seek another term as party chairman.
The unpopular prime minister has not yet formally announced whether he will seek another three-year term in the LDP presidential elections in September. When asked about a possible re-election bid, he has repeatedly said his priority is tackling political issues that cannot be postponed.
But veteran LDP lawmakers fear the party is in deep trouble under Kishida and could lose control of the government in a general election. Younger members in particular are concerned about their own vulnerability in a party led by an unpopular president and are becoming increasingly outspoken in favor of change at the top.
