LDP braces for recall vote battle

key takeaways

• The Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) election management committee set rules for deciding whether to hold a recall vote for Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, with the votes to be gathered after 2 September.
• It is unclear whether there is a majority in favor of a recall vote: while some factors have shifted in Ishiba’s favor, he may still face an uphill battle to avoid a new leadership contest.
• The next ten days will feature intense jockeying between anti- and pro-Ishiba forces as they seek to sway undecided lawmakers.