Japan’s next PM will face a problem that won’t go away with Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation

The ruling Liberal Democratic party is still grappling with the fallout from a years-old funding scandal that may see it go into opposition for just the third time in its history

The precise timing of Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba's resignation announcement - on a Sunday evening - took many by surprise; but the countdown to his departure arguably began just weeks after he took office.

Having won the presidency of the Liberal Democratic party (LDP) - a formidable political force that has governed Japan for much of the past seven decades - Ishiba called a snap election in search of a public mandate after a major funding scandal, and to silence his opponents on the right of the party.