Japan PM Fumio Kishida Suffers Major Setback as Liberal Democratic Party Loses 3 Seats in By-Elections

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida experienced a setback on Monday as his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lost all three parliamentary seats in weekend by-elections to the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), the country's largest opposition.

The results were based on data from local election authorities and media exit polls.

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan suffered significant losses in recent elections in Tokyo, Shimane, and Nagasaki.

These losses could potentially threaten Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's position as party leader, as a major kickback scandal linked to political fundraising parties has rocked the LDP. Factions within the party have admitted to failing to report income from fundraisers for years and sharing the money among their members.

The consequences of this scandal were described as "very serious" by LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi, who vowed to work hard to regain the voters' trust.

Local media reported that the election losses could encourage LDP lawmakers to attempt to bring down Kishida when his term as party leader expires in September.

The Kishida administration is facing political instability after the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lost all supplementary elections, according to Japanese media outlets Nikkei, Yomiuri Shimbun, and Kyodo News.

The losses were described as a sign of the LDP's decline, and some speculate that Kishida's political footing will be weakened, increasing the likelihood of attempts to oust him from power before the next general election.

This makes it uncertain if he will run in the LDP presidential race.