Ishiba says he’s ready to tackle challenges despite election loss

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Monday he will stay in office to tackle challenges such as rising prices and high US tariffs after a weekend election defeat left his coalition with a minority in both parliamentary chambers and triggered calls for his resignation.

- Associated Press

Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior coalition partner Komeito were short three seats to maintain a majority in the 248-seat upper house in Sunday's vote. Though the LDP is still the leading party, its ruling coalition is now a minority in both houses of the Diet, or parliament, which makes it difficult for the coalition to pass any legislation.

The loss of a majority in Sunday's election does not immediately lead to a change of government because the upper house lacks power to file a no-confidence motion against a leader. With opposition too fractured to forma united front powerful enough to topple the ruling coalition, Ishiba is under more pressure to step down from ultraconservative rivals in his own party.

US-Japan tariff talks

Ishiba said he takes the result seriously but that his priority is to avoid creating a political vacuum and to tackle impending challenges, including the August 1 deadline for a tariff deal with the US.