Upper House Election: LDP Members Urging Ishiba to Take Responsibility as Party Faces Poor Showing

The Yomiuri Shimbun

0:00 JST, July 21, 2025

With the Liberal Democratic Party likely having performed poorly in Sunday’s House of Councillors election, some LDP members are trying to hold Prime Minister and LDP President Shigeru Ishiba responsible for the results.

If the ruling bloc fails to achieve their goal of maintaining a majority in the upper house, the focus will be on whether Ishiba and other party executives will resign or stay in office.

If the ruling parties fail to maintain their majority and suffer a defeat, it will be the third consecutive defeat in a major election for Ishiba, following the House of Representatives election last October and the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election in June.

Some LDP members are pointing an accusatory finger at Ishiba, with one heavyweight saying, “It is only natural for the prime minister to resign to take responsibility for the defeat.”

Regarding his own departure from office, LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama said on a TV program Sunday night: “I would like to act in line with Ishiba. And it is the prime minister who decides [on whether he leaves or stays].”

Even if the ruling bloc manages to maintain their majority in the upper house, they still lack a majority in the lower house and continue to face issues managing the government. The LDP is considering expanding their coalition, but there will undoubtedly be difficulties coordinating with opposition parties.