Reported this Friday according to NHK “Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to step down as prime minister amid speculation over his health”. Abe is expected to speak to reporters at 5 p.m.
Prime Minister Abe, 65, had been prime minister for nearly eight years, a significant feat in a country accustomed to high turnover in the top job. Abe had just become the nation’s longest-serving prime minister in terms of consecutive tenure.
Abe’s health had been in a long speculation since he underwent hospital examinations twice in the span of a week. The recent developments followed reports that his condition had declined since July and then worsened in early August.
Media quoted government sources as saying Abe would consult doctors again – possibly over the phone – on Friday before he is due to speak to reporters at 5pm local time. Abe, will reportedly outline new measures to fight the pandemic, including a pledge to secure enough vaccine – if one is available – for the country’s entire population by early next year.[1]
