Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to resign

TOKYO AP Japan s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has expressed his intention on Sunday to step down following growing calls from his party to take responsibility for a historic defeat in July s parliamentary electoral process Japan s NHK constituents television stated Ishiba who took office in October had resisted growing calls from within his own party to resign for more than a month saying such a step would cause a political vacuum when Japan faces key challenges in and outside the country His resignation plan comes a day before his Liberal Democratic Party makes a divisive decision on whether to hold an early leadership voting a virtual no-confidence motion against him if approved Ishiba intends to step down to prevent the party from getting divided further NHK mentioned If he had stayed on he would have inevitably struggled to manage his divided party and minority cabinet The prime minister is expected to hold a news conference later Sunday In July Ishiba s ruling coalition failed to secure a majority in the -seat upper house in a crucial parliamentary electoral contest further shaking the stability of his regime The loss added to an earlier electoral process defeat in the lower house where the party-led coalition also had lost a majority His decision came after his meeting Saturday with Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his perceived mentor former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga who apparently suggested Ishiba s resignation ahead of Monday s vote He had previously insisted on staying stressing the need to avoid a political vacuum at a time Japan faces big challenges including U S tariffs and their impact on the economic activity rising prices rice agenda reforms and growing tension in the region Since the LDP s last week adoption of its review of the polling loss which called for a complete overhaul of the party requests for an early leadership vote or for Ishiba s resignation before Monday s results have gained traction A conservative heavyweight Taro Aso known for his anti-Ishiba stance and a minister and several deputy ministers in the Ishiba Cabinet have requested an early vote prompting others to follow suit Former Fitness Minister Norihisa Tamura informed an NHK talk show earlier Sunday that the best way to stop the party divide and move forward is for Ishiba to settle the dispute before Monday s vote urging his resignation The party has already been distracted from necessary work on economic measures and on figuring out avenues to gain opposition patronage in the next parliamentary session Tamura announced With Ishiba stepping down as party leader the LDP is expected to set a date for its party presidential electoral contest likely to be held in early October Realizable candidates include Koizumi as well as ultra-conservative former Economic Measure Minister Sanae Takaichi Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi a moderate and the protege of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Lacking a majority in both houses the next LDP leader will have to work with the main opposition parties to get bills passed experts say or else face constant risks of no-confidence motions The opposition parties however are too splintered to form a big coalition to topple the regime In modern weeks Ishiba successfully got U S President Donald Trump to lower the tariff rates the US administration imposed on Japan from to Ishiba also declared he has had his chief bargain negotiator Ryosei Akazawa deliver his letter to Trump stating his wish to work with him to create the golden era of the Japan-U S alliance inviting the American leader to visit Japan Ishiba s top aide LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama a key figure who negotiated with main opposition leaders to help achieve rule since the prime minister took office has also expressed his intention to step down on Sept over the voting loss though Ishiba hasn t granted him resignation Moriyama s departure would have dealt a blow to the prime minister Source