Faced with a 15.5 percent approval rating amid a corruption scandal and inflation kicking the shit out of the middle class, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday announced he’ll be stepping down next month leader of the ruling Liberal Democrat Party (despite its name they’re pretty right wing) and thus the premiership of the island nation following an Liberal Dem convention to elect a new party leader ahead of the 2025 general election, the BBC reports.
“In the upcoming presidential election, it’s necessary to show the people that the Liberal Democratic Party will change,” said Kishida at a press conference on Wednesday announcing his decision. “A transparent and open election, and free and open debate are important. The first easy-to-understand step that indicates that the LDP will change is for me to step back,” he said.