Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba decided to resign after the defeat of his ruling coalition in the upper house elections, Japanese media reported on Sunday. The Japanese Prime Minister also held a press conference in Tokyo, at which he announced his resignation from the position of head of government.
Ishiba faced criticism within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) after its defeat in the upper house elections on July 20th.
On Tuesday, during a joint plenary session of lawmakers from both houses of parliament, Ishiba apologized for the election results.
“This is my responsibility as president of the LDP, and I cannot avoid it,” Ishiba said, adding that he “has no intention of clinging” to his position and that he will “make the appropriate decision at the appropriate time.”
After the election defeat, Ishiba had previously rejected multiple calls within his party to step down, signaling his intention to remain in office.
Ishiba, who became prime minister last October, promised to address inflation and advocate for party reforms. The LDP has been entangled in a series of political fundraising scandals.
Shortly after he took office, the LDP and its coalition partner Komeito lost their majority in the lower house elections, and in July, the coalition also failed to secure a majority in the upper house.
With growing pressure on Ishiba to take responsibility for the failure, it was expected that the LDP would decide on Monday whether to hold an extraordinary leadership race.
