JAPAN PM CONCEDES GE DEFEAT

TOKYO, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Sunday conceded defeat in the general election and said he was stepping down as leader from his humbled governing party.

“I will resign as the head of the Democratic Party of Japan because I take  this result seriously,” he told a press conference.

• “I want to deeply apologise  as I could not produce results.”   
• Noda was speaking after NHK television, citing forecasts based on both  official results and its own exit polls, said the Liberal Democratic Party had  won at least 255 seats with 95 seats undecided, against 39 seats for the DPJ.   
• The LDP is expected to easily secure a majority of the 480-seat chamber  with New Komeito, its junior coalition partner, which is expected to win at  least 25 seats, NHK said.  
•  Asked why the DPJ suffered such a haemorrhaging of support, Noda said: “We  were unable to live up to people’s expectations when we came into government  (in 2009).”   
• “Politicians must take responsibility for results. The biggest  responsibility for such a severe defeat lies with me as the party leader.” 

Source:  -AFP