Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda yesterday announced his resignation, calling for a fresh start after a troubled year in power that saw bitter fighting with the opposition.
"Today, I have decided to resign. We need a new line-up to cope with a new session of parliament," Fukuda told a hastily arranged news conference.
Fukuda did not immediately speak of new elections, opening the way for a new leadership election within the ruling party. General elections must be held by September next year.
The likely front-runner to take over the post is Taro Aso, a former foreign minister who is known for being both more charismatic and more conservative than the 72-year-old Fukuda.
Fukuda said he made the decision in light of the tense situation in parliament. The opposition Democratic Party won control of one house last year and has aggressively fought Fukuda's agenda.
"The Democratic Party has tried to stall every bill so it has taken a long time to implement any policies. For the sake of the Japanese people, this should not be repeated," Fukuda said.
Fukuda's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been in power for all but 10 months since its creation in 1955. Fukuda did not have to call elections until September next year. The opposition has vowed to wrest political control in the next election. Fukuda took office nearly a year ago in hopes of reviving the LDP, but he faced an uproar for introducing a hugely unpopular medical coverage plan that raises costs for many elderly people.
Fukuda on Friday unveiled a 11.7-trillion-yen (107-billion-dollar) stimulus package, although some economists doubted it would give a long-term boost to the economy.
A poll out earlier Monday said that his government's approval rating had slumped nine points in the past month to 29 percent, erasing most of the bounce he received from reshuffling his cabinet a month ago.
The poll tipped Aso as the most popular candidate to replace Fukuda.