Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto formally announced Monday he is resigning but said he will stand again in an election that could take place by mid- to late March to gain the support of voters for holding a referendum on whether to integrate Osaka.
The decision to step down came after a local committee set up by the prefecture and the city to discuss merging Osaka into one political entity voted last week against amalgamating four plans to reorganize the city into smaller semi-autonomous wards into one proposal, the first step toward gaining the municipal assembly's approval and then holding a local referendum.
"The snap election is not about whether or not you oppose the Osaka integration plan. It's about gaining the trust of the voters by presenting a detailed explanation of the Osaka integration plan that can be voted on in a citywide referendum. It's about asking them whether they want to go forward with discussions on the details so they can decide in a referendum," Hashimoto told reporters in Osaka.