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Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigns after his party's historic defeat
Ishiba resigned months after he faced a historic defeat in the July parliamentary elections in the country.
Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigned on Sunday, months after he faced a historic defeat in the July parliamentary elections in the country.
Ishiba's decision to step down follows growing calls for his resignation from within his Liberal Democratic Party, urging him to take responsibility for the defeat, the Associated Press reported.
Ishiba, who took office in October, had ignored the demands posed by the right-wing opponents from within his party for more than a month, saying him stepping down would cause a political vacuum in the country.
He had highlighted the tariffs imposed by the United States and their impact on the Japanese economy, along with rising prices, rice policy reforms and growing tensions in the region.
His decision to step down comes a day before the LDP decides on whether to hold an early leadership election, which would have been a virtual no-confidence motion against Ishiba if approved, according to AP.
However, in a televised press conference, Ishiba said he would initiate the process for holding a vote to choose his replacement for the party leadership, adding that Monday's decision would no longer be needed.
Ruling coalition failed to secure majority in parliamentary election
In the crucial parliamentary election held in July, the ruling coalition led by Ishiba failed to secure a majority in the 248-seat upper house, thus affecting the stability of his government.
This came after an earlier election defeat in the lower house, where the LDP-led coalition had also failed to secure a majority.
Ishiba held a meeting with Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and former PM Yoshihide Suga, who might have suggested the resignation move, ahead of Monday's party voting, AP reported.
The LDP had last week decided to review the loss in the parliamentary elections, and called for a “complete overhaul” of the party. The LDP is now expected to for the party's presidential elections, likely to be held in early October.
Ishiba's key aide LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama had also expressed his intentions to step down on September 2. However, Ishiba had not accepted the resignation.
