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Ishiba says no talk about his future arose in meeting with former Japan PMs

Ishiba says no talk about his future arose in meeting with former Japan PMs

The Mainichi3 days ago
TOKYO -- Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on July 23 said there was no discussion about whether he would stay in office or resign during a meeting held that day with three former prime ministers in the wake of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s poor performance in the House of Councillors election.
Ishiba, president of the LDP, met with former prime ministers Taro Aso, Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida at the party's headquarters for about an hour and 20 minutes on July 23. It is believed they discussed the LDP's course of action following the ruling party's major setback in the July 20 upper house election.
"We shared a strong sense of crisis. There were various discussions, including that party division must never occur." Ishiba said, adding, "There was absolutely no discussion about whether I would stay on or not. There have been some news reports, but I have never made such a statement."
(Japanese original by Honoka Uchida, Political News Department)
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