Video: Japanese Prime Minister resigns
Profile: Outgoing Japanese PM Yukio Hatoyama
Backgrounder: Chronology of key events leading to Hatoyama's resignation
 |
| Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama attends a news conference at his official residence in Tokyo May 28, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo) |
TOKYO, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Wednesday that he will not stand for the next election of the House of Representatives when his term as a lawmaker expires three years later.
Hatoyama made the remarks in the presence of reporters at his office, suggesting he will retire from Japan's political scene in the near future.
He said his decision to step down is in the national interests of Japan, adding that he began to consider his resignation about 10 days ago.
With regards to the Futenma issue, Hatoyama said that the government's decision on the relocation of the U.S. Marine Futenma base within Okinawa was not wrong.
As for the candidate for the president of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), he said that he will not offer support for anyone in the run for the party's new leader.
Hatoyama announced his decision to resign earlier in the day during a general assembly of the DPJ lawmakers.
Hatoyama's support rate plunged below 20 percent in the recent public opinion polls conducted by a number of media after being blamed for dividing the ruling coalition due to his mishandling of a plan to relocate a U.S. military facility in Okinawa, causing the Social Democratic Party to bolt from the coalition and reposition themselves to oppose the DPJ in the forthcoming election.
Hatoyama said his management body's alleged false reporting of his political fund has also tainted the image of DPJ, which serves as another factor behind his decision of resignation.
Related:
Japanese Deputy PM Kan to run for party chief
TOKYO, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Naoto Kan officially voiced intention to run for president of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).
The move by Kan came after Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama announced his decision to step down.
Kan said he told Hatoyama that he will run for president at a party meeting Friday. Full story
Japan's political scene undergoing shake-up as PM resigns over Futenma, political fund issues
TOKYO, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Japan's political scene is undergoing a major shake-up as Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama announced on Wednesday his decision to resign in a general assembly of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) lawmakers.
Following Hatoyama's resignation and his request for DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa to resign, Ozawa voiced his intention to step down from the ruling party's No. 2 post. Full story
