Japan PM Shigeru Ishiba to resign amid party revolt: Reports

Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has decided to step down, local media reported Sunday, as his ruling party faces growing calls for a new leadership election after a disastrous upper house poll.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that Ishiba made the decision to prevent a deeper split within the Liberal Democratic Party.

The Asahi Shimbun daily said the embattled prime minister could no longer withstand mounting pressure from party members demanding his resignation.

Ishiba, who assumed office in October, has been under pressure for more than a month as right-wing rivals within his own party pushed for his resignation.

His decision comes just a day before the Liberal Democratic Party was set to decide on holding an early leadership election, a move widely seen as a de facto no-confidence vote.

The pressure mounted after his ruling coalition suffered a major setback in July, failing to secure a majority in the 248-seat upper house during a critical parliamentary election. The loss dealt a serious blow to the stability of his government.