Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba announced his decision to resign as LDP President on Sunday, Reuters reported. Ishiba resigned owing to mounting pressure from his party after a historic defeat in July’s parliamentary election, AP reported quoting Japan’s NHK public broadcaster.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) had intensified calls for Ishiba to resign, blaming him for the electoral setbacks. Ishiba, who took office in October, had resisted resignation for over a month. He defended his stance by arguing that Japan’s ongoing domestic and international challenges required steady leadership.
What is the reason behind the resignation?
Ishiba’s resignation comes just a day before the party deliberated on leadership changes. However, with internal divisions deepening and an early leadership election or no-confidence motion looming, Ishiba has reportedly chosen to resign to “prevent further discord within the party”, AP reported via NHK.
Ishiba is expected to address the nation through a press conference scheduled for 6 pm IST.
Falling graph of electoral wins
The LDP’s losses in July’s 248-seat upper house election dealt a severe blow to the government’s stability. This came on the heels of LDP’s previous defeat in the lower house where the coalition also failed to secure a majority.