Japan PM rejects resignation demands as LDP mulls early leadership vote

Tokyo [Japan], August 8 (ANI): Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday reaffirmed his decision to remain in office despite growing pressure to resign, as the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) convened a crucial meeting following its recent electoral setback in the Japanese Parliament, Kyodo News reported.

According to Kyodo News, during a joint plenary session involving LDP lawmakers from both houses of the Japanese parliament, party leaders revealed that the LDP's election committee is considering the possibility of holding an early leadership vote, which was initially scheduled for 2027.

Such a move would be highly unusual for a party that has largely dominated Japan's postwar political landscape.

While the joint plenary meetings serve as important forums for internal decision-making, they do not have the authority to remove a sitting party president, Kyodo News reported.

However, according to LDP regulations, a leadership contest can be triggered mid-term if a majority of both lawmakers and local chapter representatives support it.

A decision on whether to initiate this process is expected later in August, once the party finishes reviewing its significant losses in the House of Councillors election, the upper house of the Japanese Parliament, on July 20, widely regarded as one of its worst performances in years, Kyodo News reported.

Facing heightened criticism, Ishiba defended his position by emphasising his obligation to guide the nation through difficult times, despite a recent breakthrough in tariff negotiations with the United States.

"I'd like to listen sincerely and humbly to your views," Ishiba said to his fellow lawmakers, as quoted by Kyodo News, during the roughly two-hour meeting.

Afterward, he assured reporters that he would seriously consider the feedback he received.

Despite his insistence on staying, internal divisions show no signs of easing. This was Ishiba's first nationwide election as party leader and Prime Minister, and it ended with the ruling coalition losing control of the powerful upper house, Kyodo News reported.

Public support for his Cabinet remains weak, and the election outcome reflects growing distrust within the electorate, especially in light of ongoing political funding scandals.

LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama noted that 35 of the 253 lawmakers in attendance voiced their views. Moriyama also indicated he will decide on whether to continue in his current role after the party completes its election postmortem.

At an earlier informal meeting in July, most attendees reportedly urged Ishiba to take responsibility for the defeat and step down. That session, originally scheduled for two hours, extended to over four hours--highlighting deep internal dissatisfaction, Kyodo News reported.

With the ruling coalition now lacking a majority in both houses, it must rely on opposition support to pass legislation and budgets.

Ishiba has signalled a willingness to cooperate with opposition forces on controversial issues such as banning corporate donations--an important LDP funding source--and finding alternatives to the provisional gasoline tax, Kyodo News reported. (ANI)

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