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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on Monday that he will retain his post despite a major defeat for his ruling coalition in the House of Councillors election.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner failed to secure a majority in the upper house of parliament, Xinhua reports.
Speaking at a press conference, Ishiba acknowledged the poor election results and said he felt a great deal of responsibility for what had happened. "The most important thing now is to avoid stagnation in national politics," the prime minister stressed, vowing to make efforts to fulfill the duties of a leading party.
In the vote for 125 of the 248 seats in the House of Councillors, the LDP won only 39 mandates, while its partner party “Komeito” won eight seats. The coalition had hoped to win 50 seats, but failed to achieve that goal. As a result, the ruling coalition has 122 mandates in the upper house, while 125 are needed for a majority.
Despite the electoral defeat, Ishiba stressed the need to ensure stability and continuity in the government, officially announcing his continuation of the prime minister's duties.