Overview

• Hiroshi Moriyama said he intends to step down as the Liberal Democratic Party’s secretary-general to take responsibility for the July 20 election losses that cost the coalition its Upper House majority.
• Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he will decide Moriyama’s fate at the appropriate time and insisted he is not clinging to his position while accepting responsibility for the setback.
• Jiji Press reported that general council chair Shunichi Suzuki and policy chief Itsunori Onodera have also conveyed plans to quit, and Kyodo News previously indicated Suzuki was likely to resign.
• The LDP finalized an internal report that blamed the defeat on weak inflation countermeasures, past scandals, and failure to attract younger voters, without singling out Ishiba.
• Polling shows Ishiba’s approval has recently improved, yet party figures are weighing an early leadership race that could be triggered if a majority of lawmakers and regional chapters request it, with a decision possible as soon as Sept 8 according to local media.