Iran Press/Asia: Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has told officials of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that he intends to resign, Hiroshige Seko, a senior party member told reporters on Friday as it was carried live by public broadcaster NHK.
He suffers from colitis, a non-curable inflammatory bowel disease, which forced him to resign during his first stint as the country's leader from 2006 to 2007. He became Prime Minister again in 2012.
Abe Shinzo is Japan's longest-serving head of government in terms of consecutive days in office.
The public was dissatisfied with his administration’s handling of the coronavirus, particularly its effects on the economy
His resignation announcement, expected Friday evening, will trigger an election in his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to replace him as its president, followed by a vote in parliament to elect a new prime minister. 101
