Abe suggests he won't seek 4th term as LDP president

Oh crap...so it begins!

Well, that's good news. One would think there are other many other conservative LDP figures biding their time. The idea that his exit will result in any real change would be beyond naive. Different factions with the same ideology.

Ah, but you see how Abe left himself plenty of wiggle room. He stated,

"Seeking a fourth term is prohibited by a party regulation. It is a matter of course to abide by the rule," 

and then of course later the story says that various party 'heavyweights' are saying that the rule can, of course, be changed.

So in other words, sometime around the end of his next term, the LDP will change the rule again, probably removing the cap altogether if Abe thinks he can get away with it. Not that he'll claim he wants the change, but is only following the rule of the people, etc, etc, etc... and of course he'll reluctantly accept the post of Prime Minister for life... might as well change the title to shogun at that point.

Lol, read between the lines folks. The 'democracy' is not going to seize any time soon.

"Suggests"

This is one abdication that can't come soon enough.

The party and the people want him to go for that 4th term. There is no qualified replacement with the experience and strength. The job is not finished yet. There is no term limit for leaders in other big democracies like Germany and UK.

Go for 2025 PM Abe!

I wonder who Aso will chose to replace him.

Is kinda true. There really isn't much candidates to choose from aside from Abe. But the guy already had been overwork hard enough and was even sick several things. I wish the next guy better luck in 2021. Actually only serving 3 years really doesn't allow one to chance anything for the country. The next guy would just keep the status quote,earn his pay and 3 years would pass by quickly.

Abe suggests he won't seek 4th term as LDP president

Please don't! You've destroyed Japan enough thank you very much!

"There is no problem when it is hard to find someone else to replace him," Nikai, the LDP's No. 2, said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Just ask Nippon Kaigi. They'll know who to replace him with.

Actually only serving 3 years really doesn't allow one to chance anything for the country. The next guy would just keep the status quote,earn his pay and 3 years would pass by quickly.

Suggestion here, read the article again.....

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suggested Thursday he has no intention of serving another four-year term as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party when his third term expires in September 2021.

Abe suggests he won't seek 4th term as LDP president

Is that a pledge?

"Seeking a fourth term is prohibited by a party regulation. It is a matter of course to abide by the rule," Abe, who returned to power in late 2012, told a parliamentary committee session.

Yeah, but rules and regulations are optional for Abe and his ilk...

Abe would be a dictator if he ran 4th term. He says "No" today, but may change his mind.

That is the best news I've read here in a long time. Now if only he could take Aso with him, that would be great.

"Men at some time are masters of their fates. "

William Shakespeare

He knows it's time to bail as nothing has been accomplished as promised, and the economy's about to tank with the pending increase in the consumption tax and overall price of goods

Made my day. But it gives him Carte Blanche to do as he pleases and not have to worry about ratings, which I foresee him taking advantage of to pull off his diabolical plans.

Most SK PMs retire to prison for...

That loud gush of noise you just heard is the Japanese Constitution, sighing with relief.

Please not Aso, please not Aso....

He was in office before and then he came back for the long term, can he just leave, get some stooge to take his place, and then take over again on a "fresh" slate?

It's about time for him to "pass the baton". Even PMs get older, too.

To have achieved so little for so long. One more term at least allows him one more chance to done his super Mario costume in front of a crowd of heatstroke effected people. But perhaps I'm not taking into account his pledges, urges and promises. Frankly under his "leadership" my wage has decreased the country has yearly gotten more in debt and now we can look forward to a tax increase that steals more of our wages. It's so bad that one more term is not going to change anything. Let him and his cohorts wander around hopelessly other then theft they have no control over me.

Thank GOD.

Hopefully he is gone asap.

But probably they will change the rule to keep him. :(

anyway as long as they keep putting those jijis at power with ww2 mindset it’s useless.

...Nor LDP president Abe, nor Prime Minister Abe, much peace and harmony to Japan. He wasn't better than a populist. So many scandals around him, extreme right wing people with him and his dreamy "Abenomics" made by him at the bottom, no modesty nor humility of his presence in government, unfortunaltely a penny.

I don't think that Abe will run anymore. His approval ratings keep getting hit and too many scandals keep breaking under his leadership. What I would like to see is Japan under the leadership of a party other than the LDP. They have pretty much been in power since 1956. They had a few years where they didn't over see the Prime Minister seat, but they have always held a majority in the government. Japan has more or less been on the same track for the longest time. Place a new party into the head seat and other government posiitons.

Why not? Because THREE already required him to skirt the Constitution?

Common knowledge. What Abe suggests isn't always what he thinks or mean! He might say one thing but do the complete opposite.

"There is no problem when it is hard to find someone else to replace him,"

True. No patriotic Japanese would want to be a PM of Japan, because the govt never worked for Japanese people.

Wow, I never believed in the power of prayer until now!

How about resigning from now or DONT make the 10% GST increase this september, your 8% increase has already caused a lot of problems for youth here.

Since it's a parliament there's no rule to stop him from running again, it's just a party rule. The rule changes he can continue. That there isn't anyone else is more about the weak bench and weak party ideas. They just want to rule and the nation just wants to follow along. There's no abiding issue or reason when nobody wants any kind of change

Perhaps PM Abe is hedging his bets that Trump won't be reelected and doesn't look forward to working with a leftist POTUS.

JCP and SDP, here's your opportunity to take over and oust the U.S. military occupiers from both mainland and Okinawa.

That loud gush of noise you just heard is the Japanese Constitution, sighing with relief.

On the contrary, I think it is all part of Nippon Kaigi's plan. That way Abe can be the focal point while these constitutional changes can be rammed through (against public opinion). Once Abe is gone (with a nice golden parachute to soften his retirement), the LDP can blame Abe for any hardship that was brought on the country.

Being children themselves, the LDP/Nippon Kaigi can only form elementary strategies at best.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suggested Thursday he has no intention of serving another four-year term as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party when his third term expires in September 2021.

Looking at Abe’s track record of pledges, urges and commitments. He definitely is seeking another four years term as president of LDP.

Probably after changing the rules, he will try to seek people’s understanding on this matter as usual.

I know a LDP supporter who is over 75 a right wing nut and wears a nappy, where should i tell him to sign up as i guess he has a very good chance.

Now begins the next series of revolving door PMs until we can find someone half decent to replace him. Good leaders are hard to come by. He will be missed.

batter up for our next authoritarian

Of course not all of his descisions were good but still I kind of liked him and several of my Japanese friends where really happy when he won against that Koike woman ... (even the Female Japanese ;) )

I think he wasn't wrong for Japan even though it won't hurt to have someone new in power who might have some new ideas for a better future for Japan

Good riddance Abe-san.

watch out for heart attacks and ischemic infarctions there abe

"There is no problem when it is hard to find someone else to replace him,"

on the contrary...

Abe suggests he won't seek 4th term as LDP president

Probably the best suggestion he has ever made.

darknutsMar. 15  05:18 pm JST

Good leaders are hard to come by.

Right, if the LDP or any other party had found one Abe would have been kicked out ages ago.

He will be missed.

But not very much, and not by many people.