Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga believes the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is losing faith in his successor Fumio Kishida and called on the incumbent leader to consider stepping down over his handling of a political funds scandal that has threatened the party's grip on power.
"An increasing number of people (within the LDP) are feeling a sense of crisis that if this situation continues, there will be a change of government," Suga, still a prominent figure in the LDP, said in an online program broadcast Sunday.
The remarks by Suga effectively indicate the highest levels of the party no longer back Kishida as prime minister, with his comments coming in the wake of similar calls from some junior LDP lawmakers for Kishida to step down ahead of the party's scheduled presidential contest in September.
"The prime minister himself has not mentioned his responsibility (for the political funds scandal) until today. There are many people who have a feeling of distrust," said Suga.
When asked about whether a new LDP leader should be selected, Suga, who resigned as prime minister in October 2021 due to widespread dissatisfaction with his leadership, said, "I think so," adding, "It will be the best opportunity for people to understand the LDP's efforts to reform itself."
But Suga said he has yet to decide whom he would recommend as a new leader.
On Monday, top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said the government takes seriously the erosion of the public's trust in politics, but will continue to concentrate on getting results on issues that cannot be put off.
The LDP has been rocked by the scandal, in which some of its factions, including one previously led by Kishida, failed for years to report part of their income from fundraising parties and accumulated slush funds.
A revised law to reform political funding rules was enacted by Japan's parliament last week, with Kishida claiming the revised political funds control law will make fundraising more transparent.
But opposition parties have said it falls far short of solving issues related to the opacity of money in politics.
A Kyodo News poll showed Sunday that only 10.4 percent of the Japanese public wants Kishida to win the LDP's upcoming leadership race.
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