Japanese PM Shinzo Abe resigns due to worsening health

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has stepped down from his position due to his worsening health condition. The long-serving Prime Minister of Japan did not name a successor. 

Speaking at a press conference called by him on August 28, 2020, Abe said that he was resigning from his post due to Japanese PM Shinzo Abe to resign due to worsening healthrecurrence of his chronic ulcerative colitis at the middle of this month. Abe wants to avoid causing problems for the government due to his poor health. 

Shinzo Abe has been battling against chronic disease - ulcerative colitis- for many years. Abe said that he had conquered his illness initially for nearly eight years and had been able to devote himself fully to his duties. However, his illness resurfaced this month and he had to visit the hospital twice in the past one week, out of which one visit lasted for almost eight hours.

The 65-year-old's current poor health condition had raised questions on whether he will be able to stay on as Prime Minister and continue his duties till the end of his term in September 2021. 

Key Highlights 

• The Japanese Prime Minister has been suffering from ulcerative colitis for over a decade. The chronic condition was partly responsible for forcing him out of office after just a year during his previous term as prime minister in 2007.

• He had resigned abruptly as prime minister in 2007 citing ill-health after a year in office that was plagued with scandals in his cabinet and a huge election loss for his ruling party.

• He has, however, since then kept his illness in check with medicine that was not previously available.

• He had returned as the Prime Minister of Japan for a rare second term in December 2012 with a pledge to revive economic growth with his “Abenomics” mix of hyper-easy monetary policy, fiscal spending and reforms.

• Abe became Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister in November 2019. On August 24, Abe surpassed a record for longest consecutive tenure as Premier set by his great-uncle Eisaku Sato, who served from 1964 to 1972.

• However, recent months have seen Abe's support fall to one of the lowest levels of his nearly eight years in office due to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He is known to have increased military spending and expanded the role of the armed forces.

• Since mid-June, Abe had not led any COVID-19 media briefing, giving rise to widespread speculation about his health.

What happens if Abe resigns?

According to Article 9 of Japan's Cabinet law, if a prime minister is prevented from discharging his functions, or the post is vacant, then a minister of state he has designated in advance will temporarily perform the role.
An extra session of Parliament is likely to be held from October. Elections must also be held for parliament's powerful lower house by late October 2021.