Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi is believed to have advised Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to voluntarily step down in order to prevent a split within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, informed sources said Sunday.
On Saturday night, Koizumi and former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga visited the official residence of the prime minister together. While Suga left after about 30 minutes, Koizumi stayed there for about two hours.
During the meeting, Koizumi urged Ishiba to avoid a vote on Monday over whether the LDP should hold an early leadership election, the sources said.
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