New Delhi (NVI): Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving Japanese prime minister has announced that he will be resigning because of his deteriorating health.
Abe made the announcement at a press conference and said he has been thinking about his health and role as prime minister since June, but did not want to cause a sudden vacancy because of his health, the Japan Times reported.
The Japanese leader added “now is the best time to step down” as the number of COVID-19 infections in Japan have decreased in recent days and new measures for winter have been compiled.
Abe also apologised to the Japanese people for failing to complete his term in office.
He added that a new prime minister needs to be in place before Japan faces influenza and COVID-19 this winter. However, he declined to endorse anyone as his successor and said he will entrust the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to elect the new leader.
Abe suffers from Colitis, a non-curable inflammatory bowel disease, which was also a factor in his sudden resignation as prime minister in 2007, ending his first term after just over a year in office.
On August 24, Abe visited Keio University Hospital in Tokyo for what was his second hospital visit in a week. The same day, he became Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, after spending his 2,799th day in office.
Abe, whose term ends in September 2021, is expected to stay on until a new party leader is elected and formally approved by the parliament.
Japanese government spokesperson Yoshihide Suga had earlier quashed speculations that Abe may be unable to serve his term and claimed the prime minister remained in good health.
“In terms of the prime minister’s health, the prime minister himself has said he wishes to work hard and I see him every day and feel that there is no change in his condition,” Suga said.
However, the Japanese leader’s resignation will trigger a leadership race in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) – most likely in two or three weeks – and the winner must be formally elected in parliament. The new party leader will hold the post for the rest of Abe’s term.
-RJV/ARK
