Tokyo: The election chief of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Shinjiro Koizumi has submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in light of the party’s dismal election showing, public broadcaster NHK reported Monday.
The move is seen as a response to the party’s significant loss in the general election on Sunday, which saw the LDP securing only 191 seats in the 465-member lower house.
Japan’s ruling coalition of the LDP and its partner Komeito got a total of 215 seats, falling short of the majority threshold in the general election for the first time in 15 years, bringing political uncertainty to an economy that is already facing an array of challenges.
It is only natural for the election chief to take responsibility for the results of the election, NHK cited Koizumi, who addressed the media at the party headquarters.
The resignation has been accepted by Ishiba, NHK reported.
Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, acknowledged that the party must adapt in response to the voters’ judgment that “the LDP must change,” attributing the electoral defeat to ongoing issues related to the political financing scandal.
Despite his previous bid for the party presidency, Koizumi was appointed as the election chief under Ishiba’s leadership following the establishment of the new administration.
