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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigns after election defeat

2025-09-07 14:13:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigns after election defeat

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced he will resign after less than a year in office, following two major election defeats.

The move comes a day before his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was expected to vote on whether to hold an internal leadership vote that could have forced him out.

The LDP has governed Japan for nearly seven decades, but under Ishiba's leadership it lost its majority in the Lower House for the first time in 15 years and then lost its majority in the Upper House in July.

Japan, the world's fourth-largest economy and a key US ally, now faces a period of political uncertainty as tensions rise with China and regional uncertainty increases.

"Now that a conclusion has been reached in the negotiations regarding the US tariff measures, I believe this is exactly the right time," Ishiba said, referring to an agreement signed last week to ease tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on Japanese cars and other exports.

Until Sunday, he had resisted calls to resign, saying it was his responsibility to resolve the dispute with Washington before resigning.

"I strongly believed that the negotiations regarding the US tariff measures, which can be described as a national crisis, should be concluded under the responsibility of our administration," he said.

The 68-year-old said he would continue his responsibilities "to the people" until a new prime minister was elected.

Ishiba, who took office in October 2024 promising to tackle rising prices, struggled to inspire confidence as the country faced economic hardship, a cost-of-living crisis and turbulent politics with the US.

Inflation, especially the doubling of rice prices last year, was politically damaging.

Public support fell further after a series of controversies, including criticism of his decision to appoint only two women to his cabinet and the distribution of expensive gifts to party members./ CNA, translated by BBC





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