NHK said Ishiba, who will hold a press conference at 6pm (local time), made the decision to avoid a divide within the Liberal Democratic Party.

Ishiba’s resignation would come less than a year after he became premier in a tenure marked by key election setbacks. Most recently, Ishiba faced weeks of pressure from within his own party to step down after a July election debacle left the ruling coalition without a majority in either chamber of parliament.

The prime minister’s impending departure will fuel political uncertainty over the coming weeks until the LDP chooses a successor. Media reports suggest that lawmakers are already jockeying to position themselves as the next premier. Hopefuls will need at least 20 other lawmakers to support their candidacy to throw their hats in the ring.

Whoever wins the party contest will then have to win a vote in parliament to become prime minister in a fractured Diet. Despite losing its majority, the LDP’s ruling coalition still holds the most seats in the lower house, positioning its candidate for premier as the most likely to win, though not guaranteeing that outcome.

A priority for the LDP’s next leader will be restoring support for the ruling coalition. The July election defeat followed a setback in the lower house last October, shortly after Ishiba took office. As a result, the LDP has been forced to govern without a majority in either chamber of parliament for the first time since its founding in 1955.