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TOKYO: Japan's opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa, under fire over a political donations scandal, has told officials of his party that he plans to resign, media reports said Monday.
Ozawa and his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) have been hit hard by the scandal, involving funds from construction firm Nishimatsu, ahead of elections Prime Minister Taro Aso must call by September.
"DPJ representative Ozawa told several senior members of his party of his intention to resign in order to avoid the impact of the Nishimatsu political funds problem on the next lower house elections," said broadcaster NHK.
According to Jiji news agency, Ozawa told party officials: "I want (the party) to win the election at any cost. I decided to resign for that reason."
Ozawa was due to address a press conference at 0800 GMT.
In the elections later this year, the DPJ hopes to end about a half-century of nearly unbroken rule by Aso's conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Ozawa, a one-time LDP member, led in opinion polls for months over Aso, who took office in September but then suffered a plunge in support over a series of gaffes and Japan's worst economic slump since World War II.
Ozawa's approval ratings however also took a dive after a senior aide was indicted in March for allegedly accepting illegal political donations from Nishimatsu through front organisations.
In the latest poll reflecting Aso's slowly rising fortunes, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily said Monday the public approval rating for Aso and his cabinet climbed to 28.7 per cent this month from 24.3 per cent in April.
Meanwhile the disapproval rating for Ozawa swung higher to 71 per cent from 66 per cent in the previous survey, the daily reported.
Even among DPJ supporters, more than half of respondents said they were dissatisfied with Ozawa's decision to stay on, the first time that a majority of party adherents came out against him, the Yomiuri said.
- AFP/yt
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