Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party is perhaps the most dominant political machine among modern democracies, controlling politics in the country of more than 120 million people for all but a handful of the last 70 years. But now, it’s in the midst of an identity crisis, unsure of what it stands for or who to follow — and perhaps worst of all, seemingly having forgotten how to win.
Dismal performances have the LDP clinging to power as a minority in both houses of parliament, and in search of its fifth leader in as many years. These failures have many authors: Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, chosen to lead the party a year ago in a hoped-for boost to public popularity that turned out to be a mirage, certainly shares the blame. But there’s plenty to go around, with predecessor Fumio Kishida’s inability to manage various scandals, as well as the assassin of Shinzo Abe, the leader who kept the party in thrall for so long. His absence still weighs heavily.
AloJapan.com