LDP Executives in 4 Key Posts to Resign: Prime Minister has been Driven into a Corner

Editorial

14:52 JST, September 3, 2025

Four key executives of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, including Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama, have expressed their intention to resign from their posts to take responsibility for the crushing defeat in the recent House of Councillors election. There are growing calls among party lawmakers, including senior vice ministers and parliamentary secretaries, to hold a party presidential election before the current leader’s term of office expires.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has emphasized his intention to remain in office, citing various policy issues such as measures against high prices and saying, “We will devote our full efforts to what we think the people want us to do.”

Does Ishiba believe that he can maintain his administration, despite the party being in utter disarray and policy discussions stalled? His obsession with holding onto power is nothing short of astonishing.

The LDP held a general meeting of its Diet members from both houses and reported on a party document reviewing the upper house election.

As reasons for the election defeat, the document cited such factors as the failure to obtain public understanding of the LDP’s cash handout proposal to combat high prices and persistent distrust regarding issues of politics and money. It also pointed out that suspicions arose among the public that “the LDP is shifting to the left,” judging that conservative votes flowed to other parties as a result.

Other major parties have already concluded their reviews of the upper house election. It may have taken more time for the LDP to do so because the party expected criticism of its leadership, including Ishiba, to subside.

Regarding whether he should step down, Ishiba said at the general meeting, “I am not clinging to my post,” adding, “I will not dodge responsibility [for the election outcome] and will make a proper decision at the appropriate time.”

However, even when attendees pressed him with questions — such as “When will you take responsibility?” — Ishiba did not give a clear answer.

After the general meeting, the LDP began procedures to decide whether to hold an early leadership election. The decision on whether to do so will be made on Sept. 8.

Within the LDP, the rift is only deepening between some lawmakers who support Ishiba remaining in power and those demanding his immediate resignation. Unless Ishiba makes a decision on whether to step down, it will be impossible for the LDP to build a united party structure.

Ishiba appears to be basing his intention to stay in power on the rise in Cabinet approval ratings in surveys by media organizations. It is true that a survey by The Yomiuri Shimbun in August showed a 17-point increase from the previous month to 39%.

However, this rise was partly due to the fact that supporters of opposition parties have become supportive of the Cabinet. For example, among supporters of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, those who said they support the Cabinet rose from the 10% range the previous month to the 40% range in August.

A certain number of people who support the CDPJ and other parties have backed Ishiba, who was long a non-mainstream faction member within the LDP. With the upper house election, which is a contest between ruling and opposition parties, now over, it appears that these supporters have once again expressed their support for Ishiba.

However, no matter how much support Ishiba gains from CDPJ supporters, it does not mean the LDP’s ability to attract votes in elections will increase. Ishiba’s overconfidence represents a grave misunderstanding.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 3, 2025)