TNI Bureau: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has resigned after a historic defeat in the July parliamentary election, stepping down as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Ishiba resigned a day before the LDP was set to decide on whether to hold an early leadership election, which would have been a virtual no-confidence motion against him.

Shigeru Ishiba stepped down as the PM because he faced growing calls from within his party to take responsibility for the election loss and the LDP lost its majority in both houses of parliament during his tenure.

Meanwhile, his resignation has triggered a leadership contest within the LDP, with the new leader expected to take over as prime minister.

Sanae Takaichi, Shinjiro Koizumi, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Yoshihiko Noda, and Yuiichiro Tamaki are considered to be the strong contenders to be Shigeru Ishiba’s successor.