Japan's Komeito party leader to resign over election results

Nov 01 (NHK) - The leader of Japan's ruling coalition partner Komeito has stated his intention to step down to take responsibility for the party's setback in Sunday's Lower House election.

Komeito Chief Representative Ishii Keiichi told a meeting of party executives on Thursday that he has decided to resign because, as the party leader, he is fully to blame for the severe poll results.

Komeito, the junior coalition partner to the main governing Liberal Democratic Party, currently has 24 seats in the 465-seat chamber. That's eight fewer than it had before the election.

Ishii himself failed to win a single-seat constituency in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

Ishii said the party leader has a role to push its policies in Diet debates, and must be able to quickly make decisions in responding to Diet-related moves. He said a Diet lawmaker should take over as the party's chief representative.

He expressed hope that the party will swiftly form a new leadership to rebuild itself.

Ishii's resignation comes a little over a month after he was elected as the coalition party's chief representative to succeed Yamaguchi Natsuo.

Komeito plans to select a new leader at an extraordinary party convention on November 9.

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