Japan’s Leader Didn’t Read the Job Description
The political-gift scandal might seem small stakes. But it’s a blow to Shigeru Ishiba’s one saving grace — his squeaky-clean image
Shigeru Ishiba didn’t read the job description.
Source: AFP/Getty Images
Japan’s ruling party is seeking a new leader! We are a leading political organization that has dominated power for the past 70 years. The perfect candidate will be popular with the electorate, able to bridge various factions, and have an ability to win elections. Above all, they’ll have no skeletons in the closet or ties to religious cults — and definitely no history of giving potentially illegal political gifts.
When the Liberal Democratic Party last year set about looking for a new leader, the job description would have read something like this. But the man who got the job, Shigeru Ishiba, didn’t get the message.