TOKYO: The cabinet of Japan’s outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday resigned en masse, ahead of the parliament formally appointing Suga, the newly elected ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader, as the new prime minister.
Abe said he had given his all during his time as the national leader.
“I have spent every day putting my all into the economic recovery and diplomacy to protect Japan’s interests,” Abe told reporters at the prime minister’s office.
“It is my honor to have been able to work on a range of issues along with the people during this time. I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart,” the outgoing leader said.
Yoshihide Suga is now set to take office as Japan’s new prime minister later on Wednesday after he is selected at an extraordinary Diet session.
Along with their junior coalition Komeito ally, the LDP dominates in both chambers of Japan’s bicameral parliament and Suga will be certain to be chosen to be the next prime minister.
Suga’s premiership will last through the remainder of Abe’s term as the LDP leader until September, 2021.
In the run-up to his inauguration, Suga said he would continue to promote Abe’s policies, including his “Abenomics” of aggressive monetary easing, fiscal stimulus and structural reforms, to breathe life back into the recession-hit Japanese economy.
Suga will also continue the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing the 230 trillion yen (2.2 trillion U.S. dollars) package allocated for tackling the COVID-19 outbreak.–Agencies
