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Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe, announced on Friday that he will resign from office due to a health problem.
The Japanese leader spoke to reporters about his decision. He said: “In the face of illness and treatment, as well as the pain of lack of physical strength… I decided that I should not stay as prime minister when I am no longer able to live up to the expectations of people with trust. “
Abe has long battled ulcerative colitis, a long-term or chronic disease. intestine disease. This summer, he visited a Tokyo hospital for two weeks. in a row for medical exams. Abe said he now has a new treatment. But there is no guarantee that he will cure his condition, so he decided to resign as prime minister after treatment next Monday.
“It is piercing having to quit my job before I achieve my goals, ”Abe said Friday. He pointed to his inability to solve the problem of the Japanese kidnapped by North Korea, a territorial dispute with Russia and the modification of the constitution of Japan.
Abe’s resignation marks the end of a period of stability in a country famous for changing prime minister.
During his years in office, Abe pulled Japan out of an economic recession, although the coronavirus crisis has weakened the economy. He built strong ties with the United States and President Donald Trump, but Abe’s support for nationalist policies unsettled China, as well as North and South Korea. His goal to rewrite the pacifist constitution drafted by the United States failed due to little public support.
Although Abe leaves office with some of his political goals unfinished, he continued to expand Japan’s defense capacity to react to the needs of the United States.
“For those who believe that the Japan-United States alliance is supreme, that was his biggest achievement”Said Koichi Nakano, professor of international politics at Sophia University in Tokyo.
Abe is expected to stay until parliament elects and approves a new party leader.
Shinzo Abe belongs to a family that has been in politics for a long time. His grandfather was former Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi.
Abe became Japan’s youngest prime minister in 2006, at age 52. The term ended a year later due to his health. He returned to power in December 2012. In total, he won six consecutive national elections.
Next Monday, Abe will become Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, in terms of consecutive days in office. He will break the record of Eisaku Sato, his great uncle, who served 2,798 consecutive days as prime minister from 1964 to 1972.
After his recent visits to the hospital were reported, senior officials in Abe’s cabinet and the ruling party said he was overworked and urgently needed rest.
There are several politicians interested in becoming prime minister. Among them are Shigeru Ishiba, a 63-year-old former Defense Minister, former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Defense Minister Taro Kono, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, and Minister of Economic Revitalization Yasutoshi Nishimura.
Abe said he will Attention on his treatment for now and “continuing his political activity and supporting a new administration as a legislator.”
I am Bryan Lynn.
The Associated Press reported this story. Hai Do adapted the story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in this story
able – adj. able to do something
trust – n. a feeling or belief that someone has the ability to succeed
intestine – n. the long tube in the body that helps digest food and remove waste from the body
in a row – phrase, in succession
piercing – adj. causing great mental or emotional pain
stability – n. the quality of being stable, does not change easily
supreme – adj. very important
achievement – n. something that has been done with great effort or hard work
great uncle – n. an uncle of one’s father or mother
Attention – v. draw attention to something specific
