Japan PM Abe set to resign over worsening health
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest serving premier, is set to resign due to worsening health, ending a stint at the helm of the world’s third-biggest economy during which he sought to revive growth, bolster defence and boost its global profile, Reuters reports.
“The resignation is a done deal,” said a source close to a senior official in Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Domestic media also reported that Abe had decided to resign.
Abe was scheduled to hold a news conference at 5 p.m. (0800 GMT).
Abe has battled the disease ulcerative colitis for years and two recent hospital visits within a week had fanned questions on whether he could stay in the job until the end of his term as ruling party leader, and hence, premier, in September 2021.
Abe did not want to cause trouble by resigning suddenly but his condition had recurred and was at risk of worsening, the Jiji news agency quoted him as saying.
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