JAPANESE Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced today that he will not be a candidate in next month’s party leadership vote, paving the way for a new premier to replace him.

Mr Kishida was elected president of the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and became prime minister in 2021.

His three-year term expires in September and whoever wins the party vote will succeed him as prime minister because the LDP controls both houses of parliament.

“We need to clearly show an LDP reborn,” Mr Kishida told a news conference today.

“In order to show a changing LDP, the most obvious first step is for me to bow out.”

His support has dwindled, with ratings dipping below 20 per cent as his party suffered from corruption scandals and rising cost-of-living costs.

Kenta Izumi, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party, said that Mr Kishida may have given up on pursuing party reforms and a probe into the corruption scandals.

“Whenever the party is in crisis, LDP, for its own survival, has repeatedly changed prime minister and party leader to reset and have voters forget the past,” said Mr Izumi.

“It’s their strategy and people should not be tricked by it.”