Japan’s Ishiba stresses his resolve to stay and avoid political vacuum

TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reiterated his resolve to stay on to avoid creating a political vacuum and to ensure that a trade deal with the US is fully implemented.

“I intend to fulfil my responsibility so as to never create a political vacuum for the nation and its people,” Mr Ishiba said on July 28 at the start of a rare meeting in which the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) lawmakers have gathered to assess the reasons for the party’s recent election setback.

The meeting, which started around 3.30pm local time, would give those in the party who seek a change at the top an opportunity to directly challenge Mr Ishiba over his leadership.

In his remarks, Mr Ishiba apologised for the

historic defeat that the LDP suffered

in the July 20 election, and he said he wants to do his best to ensure that the recent trade deal with the US is fully implemented.

LDP secretary-general Hiroshi Moriyama, speaking at the same venue, said he would finish analysing the election’s results in August and decide at that time how best to hold himself accountable.

On July 27, Mr Ishiba signalled that he intends to stay in office even after the ruling coalition lost its majority in the Upper House of Parliament in the election.

“I intend to devote myself to the people and the future of the country,” he said in an interview with national broadcaster NHK.

He added that he wanted to ensure the successful implementation of the recently announced US-Japan trade deal.

New opinion polls show support for Mr Ishiba’s administration remains low, although surveys also suggest the public sees few good alternatives to the current prime minister.

Polls in the Mainichi and Asahi newspapers published on July 27 both showed approval ratings of 29 per cent for Mr Ishiba’s government.

The Asahi poll also found that 41 per cent of respondents thought Mr Ishiba should stand down, while 47 per cent thought that was not necessary.

The same survey showed that 81 per cent of respondents thought the LDP’s defeat was due to party-wide issues rather than the prime minister’s leadership. 

Mr Ishiba has also

found support on social media

and in small public gatherings outside the prime minister’s office from members of the public calling for him to stay on.

Nonetheless, party members have been calling for someone to take responsibility for the July 20 election setback, which substantially weakened Mr Ishiba’s position.

For the first time since 1955, a leader from the storied Japanese party now has to govern the country without a majority in either of the legislative bodies.

Former foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi called for a leadership change within the LDP on his YouTube channel over the weekend.

The party needs a “fresh start with a new leader”, he said.

While pressure mounted on Mr Ishiba last week, the Premier received good news in the form of a surprise trade deal with the US that carried relatively favourable terms for Japan, including the lowering of across-the-board tariffs to 15 per cent from 25 per cent.

The deal does not appear to have given Mr Ishiba a significant boost in popularity. BLOOMBERG