Japan’s PM Kishida denies he will step down over his party’s loss in special elections

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says his governing party’s major defeat in last weekend’s by-elections was largely due to a political fundraising scandal and that he will not resign or replace party executives to take responsibility. Kishida said Tuesday he will instead push anti-corruption measures and political reforms. Kishida’s conservative party lost all three seats in Sunday’s parliamentary by-elections. The party is unlikely to lose power because the opposition is fractured. But Sunday’s defeat marked a further setback for Kishida, who has fought plummeting support ratings since the corruption scandal erupted last year, as he seeks reelection as his party’s leader in the fall.