Ishiba's Resignation Took So Long, LDP Needs to Get It Together

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Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba concurrently serves as president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). On September 7, he finally announced his resignation Not only had Ishiba led his party to a defeat in the 2024 general election, but the ruling party also lost its majority in the Upper House in a crushing defeat this July.

Even after the debacle in the Upper House election, Ishiba clung to power, thereby causing political turmoil. His resignation was definitely too long in coming. Waiting until September to step down as prime minister was hardly an honorable way to act. The Prime Minister should have resigned immediately after the party's loss in the Upper House election. He would do well to reflect on his missteps.

The LDP was already preparing to advance the date of the next election for party president. A final decision will be made when a majority of the party's Diet members and prefectural chapters submitting written requests of support by September 8.

An Early LDP Election Makes Sense

During Ishiba's September 7 press conference, he touched on several developments that had taken place while he was prime minister. One was regarding the conclusion of the memorandum of understanding between Japan and the United States in the Japan-US tariff negotiations. He said, "Now that we have reached a turning point, I have decided that this is the right time to make way for my successor."

The fact, however, is the number of LDP members supporting the calls for an early presidential election had been snowballing. Moreover, they included Cabinet ministers, numerous Diet members, and prefectural federations. That is what may have forced Ishiba to reluctantly announce his resignation.

Despite devastating defeats in both the House of Representatives (October 2024) and Upper House elections (July 2025), Prime Minister Ishiba refused to take responsibility and clung to office.

On September 7, Ishiba did not frame his resignation as a response to the verdict of Japanese voters in July. Here, Ishiba displayed blatant disregard for the basic principle of constitutional government and parliamentary democracy. That is, to humbly follow the will of the people as expressed in national elections.

*Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba responds to questions from reporters at the Prime Minister's Office. (©Sankei by Ataru Haruna)*

Threatening Chaos in His Own Party

Furthermore, Prime Minister Ishiba had hinted that if the decision was made to bring forward the presidential election, he would dissolve the House of Representatives and call a general election. Such a move would inevitably have caused chaos. This threat made against Diet members belonging to his own party was utterly outrageous.

Ishiba has displayed the worst attitude a party politician could possibly take. It was LDP lawmakers and prefectural chapters who aborted such machinations. By expressing support for the advancement of the party leadership election, they paved the way for the reconstruction of Japan's constitutional government. They deserve high praise on that score.

After the LDP's disastrous elections, the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) and other opposition parties hold an overall majority in the House of Representatives. However, they did not submit a motion of no confidence in the Cabinet during the extraordinary Diet session in August.

Opposition parties, up to now, have carped about the political vacuum that has been created. But do they really have the right to make such accusations when they themselves have not stepped forward to protect constitutional government?

The LDP needs to turn itself around. Opposition parties continue to increase in number, yet they remain unable to agree on fundamental policies. As the largest party in Japan, the LDP has the responsibility to promptly hold an election in which party members are allowed to vote in order to select a new party leader. Then, they must work to build a stable government.

Forgetting the Problems

At the press conference, Prime Minister Ishiba cited the establishment of the Disaster Management Agency, the passage of the Active Cyber Defense Act, and the conclusion of Japan-US tariff negotiations as some of his administration's achievements.

However, he also created many problems. For example, he was invited to attend the June NATO summit in the Netherlands. But he did not attend. Security of the Indo-Pacific region, including Northeast Asia, is directly linked to that of Europe. Japan's prime minister should have been there to call for cooperation in responding to threats from China, North Korea, and Russia. Instead, he chose to waste that valuable opportunity.

Nor did Ishiba directly protest against China's many problematic actions, such as dangerous flight behavior by Chinese military aircraft.

Amid an increasingly severe security environment, Ishiba displayed a lack of commitment to ensuring Japan's security and national interest. Nor did he step up to take the lead in the formation of a desirable international order.

Failing to Follow Through

Even regarding the Japan-US tariff negotiations, it seemed that the Prime Minister let Minister of State for Economic Revitalization Ryosei Akazawa handle everything. The Prime Minister did not personally visit the United States to negotiate with President Donald Trump. Furthermore, he did not contact President Trump even after the tentative conclusion of the Japan-US tariff negotiations on July 23.

Revision of the Constitution is an avowed policy goal of the LDP. However, he handed the CDP control of the post of chairman of the Constitutional Review Committee in both houses of the Diet. Furthermore, he did so despite knowing that the CDP is reluctant to amend the Constitution.

Ishiba's administration became a minority government following the 2024 House of Representatives election. Undeniably, it therefore had to resort to ad hoc responses to gain the cooperation of opposition parties such as the CDP, the Japan Innovation Party, and the Democratic Party for the People.

Nevertheless, Ishiba's government continued to maintain an inexplicably indecisive stance on various issues. One concerned the introduction of a system that would allow married couples to have separate surnames. He was indecisive, despite the fact that such a system would force children to have different surnames from one parent and undermine family unity.

It is no wonder that the conservative base that supported the LDP for so long has become alienated from it.

LDP Executive Shares Responsibility

Current political turmoil is not only the fault of the Prime Minister. The LDP executive also bears responsibility, and the party now faces an existential crisis.

Any LDP lawmaker running to become party president should adopt a clear conservative stance. She or he must discuss in specific terms views on foreign policy and national security, economic policy, and constitutional reform, among others.

Implementing imperial succession measures in line with the past expert government studies is another extremely important issue.

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun

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