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PacNet #43 – Deja vu, All Over Again

Here we go again. Less than a year after Abe Shinzo stunned supporters with a sudden resignation from office, Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo has decided to do the same. Fukuda blamed a divided Diet, plummeting approval ratings, and a desire to avoid a political vacuum for his decision to step down. It’s an odd move, although one very much in keeping with Fukuda’s character. It won’t necessarily help Japan or the LDP and it’s likely to intensify the vacuum he blames for his departure.