Tokyo, Sep 8 (IANS) Toshimitsu Motegi, a former foreign minister of Japan, intends to run in the ruling party’s presidential election following Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to resign.
Ishiba announced his decision to step down as the head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Sunday, amid growing calls for him to take responsibility for the party’s election setback, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Kyodo News on Monday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi has also decided to run, Kyodo News cited party insiders.
The LDP is expected to finalize voting procedures for the election as early as Tuesday, according to the report.
Both Motegi and Hayashi ran in last year’s leadership contest. Motegi, a veteran politician, also served as LDP policy chief.
Other potential contenders include former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.
Ishiba on Sunday announced his decision to resign amid growing calls for him to take responsibility for the party’s election defeat.
In a landmark political setback in July, Japan’s ruling coalition lost its majority in the House of Councillors, signaling deep public dissatisfaction with the government.
The defeat follows a similar outcome in the 2024 House of Representatives election, leaving the ruling bloc a minority in both chambers of the parliament, a historic first since the LDP’s founding in 1955.
–IANS
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