Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks at a news conference at the prime minister’s office on June 21. (Takeshi Iwashita)

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida indicated his eagerness to seek re-election as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party this autumn despite dismal approval ratings for his Cabinet and growing calls within the party for him to step down.

While he did not explicitly state that he will run for the LDP leadership election, the prime minister told a news conference on June 21, “I will continue to make efforts to achieve results on the issues that are still halfway through.”

For example, Kishida vowed that the government will implement additional economic measures in two stages to deal with rising prices, including a three-month resumption of subsidies for electricity and gas charges.

The news conference was called after the ordinary Diet session, which closes on June 23, effectively wrapped up before the weekend.

The Diet passed the revised Political Fund Control Law, which became the focus of the parliamentary session after a money-in-politics scandal dealt a serious blow to the LDP and the Kishida administration.

But opposition parties and experts complained that loopholes and other problems were left unaddressed.

At the news conference, Kishida emphasized that an effective system with specific measures has been established.

However, he added, “I humbly accept the fact that the public has pointed out that the system is still insufficient.”

The prime minister said he will have further consultations as soon as possible.

Speaking on the state of the economy, Kishida said, “We are at a critical stage of whether we can shift to a new growth-oriented one.”

He said he will introduce new measures to ensure that incomes exceed rising prices.

Specifically, subsidies for electricity and gas charges, which ended with the bills for May, will be reinstated for three months from August.

Gasoline subsidies will also be maintained for the remainder of the year.

In addition, the government plans to include new benefits for pensioners and low-income households in an economic stimulus package to be compiled in autumn.

The government will also consider reducing the cost of school lunches paid for by parents and providing support for the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industry and the tourism industry.

According to government sources, the government plans to compile a supplementary budget to secure financial resources.

Kishida also reiterated his interest in revising the Constitution.

“It is the responsibility of politics to present an opportunity for the public to consider revisions in response to the demands of the times,” he said at the news conference.

While he has repeatedly pledged to realize revisions before his current term as LDP president expires in September, Kishida on June 21 only said he will maintain his commitment to fulfilling the responsibility.

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