"I cannot be prime minister if I cannot make the best decisions for the people. The new party leader will hold the post for the rest of Abe's term. "As head of the ruling party he worked hard on Abenomics for eight years," said brokerage employee Naohito Kojima, 55. Abe's resignation also comes amid an uncertain geopolitical environment, including an intensifying confrontation between the United States and China and ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. Abe resigned from his first stint as prime minister in 2007, citing ill-health after a year plagued by scandals in his cabinet and a huge election loss for his ruling party.

Source: The Star August 28, 2020 08:15 UTC