Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is expected to announce his resignation at the end of August, media reports said Wednesday, with the prime minister telling his close advisers he had made a decision, three days after his Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition lost a majority in an Upper House election.
“I will make a judgment based on the result of the negotiations,” Ishiba told reporters early Wednesday morning after commenting on a surprise trade agreement reached with the United States.
Ishiba had cited ongoing negotiations with Washington as one of the key reasons behind his decision to stay in his post following the poor election showing.
Following an assessment by his ruling party of the reasons behind the recent electoral defeat, Ishiba will formally announce his intention to leave his post, the reports said.
After that, a party leadership race needs to take place to elect a new president, with behind-the-scenes maneuvering by potential candidates widely expected.
A new parliamentary session would be convened to select a new prime minister. However, with the ruling coalition lacking a majority in both chambers, even a new party leader will have a hard time getting the necessary votes.
August is a busy month especially this year for the Japanese leader, who usually attends a number of key events. This year’s events include a commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the anniversary of the end of World War II on Aug. 15. An international conference on African development will also be held in Yokohama from Aug. 20 to 22.
Ishiba is likely to resign after those events conclude, the reports said.
Posted by Dirty_Chopsticks
1 Comment
Very interesting article. As the LDP is the biggest party, I’m wondering what other parties they will try to court to keep a PM from their party. Does anyone know what parties seem close to the LDP?