Tokyo, June 04: Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama formally resigned along with his cabinet Friday, two days after declaring he would step down, ahead of a vote for his successor as party chief and premier.
Finance Minister Naoto Kan, a deputy premier, was seen as the front runner to take over as prime minister of the world’s second-largest economy, despite a late challenge for the post.
If Friday’s leadership vote follows expectations, Kan will take over from Hatoyama, who resigned Wednesday in the wake of a funding scandal and a damaging dispute over a US air base.
Kan hopes to succeed Hatoyama as president of the centre-left Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and then, after a parliamentary vote, as prime minister.
–Agencies