(Update) Nippon Ishin's Baba to Resign after Election Defeat

   Tokyo, Nov. 6 (Jiji Press)--Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) leader Nobuyuki Baba announced his intention Wednesday to resign in the wake of his party's defeat in the Oct. 27 general election.
   Earlier on Wednesday, the opposition party voted to hold a leadership poll Dec. 1, with the official campaign period set to start on Nov. 17.
   While Baba has decided not to seek re-election, party co-leader Hirofumi Yoshimura, governor of Osaka Prefecture, and Toru Azuma, a lawmaker of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the country's parliament, have been tipped to enter the race.
   Nippon Ishin's rules stipulate that the party decide within 45 days of a national or unified local election on whether to hold a party leadership election.
   In electronic voting by party lawmakers, regional assembly members and others that closed on Wednesday night, 696 voters were in favor of holding a leadership election, and 56 against.

(2024/11/07-01:43)

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