Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party President Shigeru Ishiba faced a rising tide of dissent and a chorus of calls to resign Monday in the first showdown between the party’s lawmakers and its executives following the loss of its Upper House majority.
“I’d like him to say he is leaving as soon as possible, though it doesn’t need to be now,” Lower House lawmaker Hiroyuki Nakamura told reporters as he left the party headquarters 45 minutes into the meeting.
“Party executives bear the responsibility of failing to improve the party’s standing,” Upper House member Yohei Wakabayashi said, adding that 80% of lawmakers who spoke in the meeting asked Ishiba to resign.
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