A 65-year-old Shinzō Abe said Friday he has decided to resign because of illness. According to source, “65-year-old Shinzo Abe has stepped down as the Prime Minister of Japan during a press conference in Tokyo, saying his chronic illness has resurfaced.”

Abe, whose term ends in September next year, said it was “gut wrenching” to leave so many of his goals unfinished. “Despite of the support… even though I have one year to go in my tenure… and with other challenges that have not been addressed yet amid the coronavirus outbreak, I decided to step down as the prime minister. I would like to send my apologies to the people of Japan,” Abe said on Friday.

In a news conference in Tokyo, “My poor health should not lead to wrong political decisions,” he said. “As I’m no longer able to meet the expectation of the mandate of the people of Japan, I have decided that I should not stay in the position as prime minister anymore. So I have decided to step down.”

Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving Japanese prime minister in history, has resigned, citing health reasons.

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