Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has made a significant announcement on August 14 that he will not be running in the upcoming Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, which follows a funding scandal that has affected the ruling party. He stressed that presenting a reformed LDP to the public is crucial, and stepping down as a first step towards change is necessary in order to support the new leader elected through the presidential election.
Throughout his term, Kishida's Cabinet faced a decline in approval ratings while struggling to regain momentum, ultimately leading to his decision to not seek re-election. Despite highlighting achievements in the economy, energy, and national defense, Kishida faced ongoing public criticism over his handling of the political fund scandal that had impacted the LDP. In response to this criticism, his administration revised the Political Fund Control Law to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future, but public dissatisfaction with the revisions grew, leading to calls for a change in leadership within the LDP.