General Meeting of LDP Lawmakers of Both Houses: How Long Will the Party’s Turmoil Continue?

Editorial

15:07 JST, August 9, 2025

The turmoil within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party regarding whether Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba should resign is nothing short of disgraceful. There seems to be no other way to resolve the situation than for Ishiba to decide to resign.

At a general meeting of LDP Diet members of both houses, Ishiba said that he would “listen sincerely and humbly” to opinions within the party. At the same time, he touched on the importance of responding to U.S. tariff measures and agricultural reforms and reiterated his desire to stay in office, saying, “I will continue to work [on the issues] responsibly.”

During the general meeting, there were many calls for Ishiba to step down. Subsequently, it was determined that the decision on whether to hold an extraordinary party presidential election would be left to the presidential election administration committee.

According to party rules, a majority of Diet members from the party and prefectural chapter representatives needs to request a presidential election in order for one to be held in the middle of a president’s term. However, no decision was made at the general meeting about whether to go through with that procedure.

As a result of the general meeting, a presidential election could be held as early as this autumn. Since Ishiba, who attended the general meeting, agreed to that decision, there is a view within the party that he may announce his intention to resign soon.

The LDP’s foundation is rapidly weakening. In the proportional representation segment of the latest House of Councillors election, the party received about 12.8 million votes, a decrease of about 5.5 million compared to three years ago. Many analyses suggest that the conservative support base, once referred to as the party’s “rock-solid foundation,” has shifted to emerging opposition forces.

According to a survey conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun last month, support for the LDP was only 19%. It is the first time the rating has fallen below 20%, excluding the period of three years and three months from September 2009 under administrations led by the Democratic Party of Japan.

There is a deepening rift within the party over whether Ishiba should resign from his post. If this continues, not only will a return of the conservative base be impossible, but it could also lead to further defections of support, potentially threatening the party’s survival.

To halt the decline in the party’s momentum, it will first be essential for Ishiba to decide on whether to step down. Seeking cooperation from the opposition parties under a new LDP president and stabilizing the political situation is vital.

At the recent extraordinary Diet session, Yoshihiko Noda, president of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, asked for discussions to be held on how donations from corporations and organizations should be and on the introduction of tax credits with benefits, which would combine income tax exemptions with cash benefits. Ishiba indicated his willingness to comply with Noda’s proposal, and discussions between the LDP and the CDPJ have actually begun.

By establishing cooperative relations with the CDPJ, it is believed that Ishiba aimed to deflect the pressure he faced within the LDP to step down. However, there were voices from within the LDP that opposed the move, saying that he may continue to accept the opposition parties’ demands, including tax cuts.

If Ishiba insists on staying in office and swallowing the opposition’s demands without considering the validity of their policies, among others, he could make a mistake in charting the nation’s course.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 9, 2025)