Japan’s prime minister Shigeru Ishiba has resigned after pressure from within his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the potential for a leadership vote against him.
Mr Ishiba, 68, who took office in October, had resisted demands – from mostly right-wing opponents within his own party for more than a month – to take responsibility for a historic defeat in July’s parliamentary election.
He has overseen three election defeats: in the upper house in July, local polls in June, as well as in the lower house in October, when his party was mired in a political donations scandal that forced his predecessor to resign.
Support for his ruling coalition has also steadily eroded as his government struggled to improve Japan’s sluggish economic growth and contain consumer price rises that fuelled growing discontent over squeezed earnings.
Mr Ishiba announced his resignation at a news conference, one day before his party was to decide whether to hold an early leadership election which, if approved, would have effectively been a no-confidence motion against him.
He said he would start a process to hold a party leadership vote to choose his replacement.
His decision came after meeting agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his perceived mentor, former prime minister Yoshihide Suga, who apparently suggested Mr Ishiba’s resignation ahead of Monday’s vote.
Mr Ishiba had previously insisted on staying on in the role, stressing the need to avoid a political vacuum at a time Japan faces big challenges, including US tariffs and their impact on the economy, rising prices, rice policy reforms and growing tensions in the region.
In the upper house election in July, voters handed Mr Ishiba a resounding defeat. The LDP and its coalition partner Komeito lost their majority in the chamber.
Many voters backed opposition groups, including the far-right Sanseito party, which had promised tax cuts and tighter controls on immigration, which has been blamed for depressing wages.
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Read more from Sky News:
AI video of Mount Fuji eruption
Hiroshima: 80 years after bomb
Woman conned by astronaut scam
Mr Ishiba was initially seen as a figure popular with the public who could revive the LDP’s standing when he was elevated to leader.
But he had clashed with previous leaders within the party and his colleagues were not prepared to forgive him for the electoral defeats.
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
The LDP and Komeito are now reliant on opposition support to stay in power, although opposition parties are too splintered to form a big enough coalition to topple the government.
