Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Announces Resignation After Election Loss
Shigeru Ishiba, Japan’s prime minister, has decided to step down following pressure from his party to take responsibility for a significant defeat in July’s upper house election.
According to the public broadcaster NHK, Ishiba chose to resign to prevent internal divisions within the party. The Asahi Shimbun reported that he could no longer ignore the growing demands for his departure.
Ishiba, who assumed office in October, had resisted calls from primarily right-wing factions within his party for over a month.
His resignation comes one day before his Liberal Democratic Party was set to determine whether to call an early leadership election—a vote that would have effectively acted as a no-confidence motion if passed. Ishiba stated that he would initiate the process for a party leadership vote to select his successor, making Monday’s decision unnecessary.
In July, Ishiba’s ruling coalition lost its majority in the 248-seat upper house during a pivotal parliamentary election, further destabilizing his administration.
With Agence France-Presse and Associated Press
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