Japanese premier plans to resign by August 30

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced on Tuesday he will step down shortly and expects to see his successor in office by next week, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported. ''I will quit after all three conditions [for my resignation] are in place,'' Kyodo quoted Kan as saying during an informal meeting with his ministers. ''I believe a new prime minister will be decided on August 30.'' The conditions comprise the passage of three bills, including the second amendment to the budget allocating $25.5 mln on tackling the consequences of the devastating March 11 earthquake. Japan's opposition parties submitted no-confidence motion against Kan in June, in a bid to bring down the prime minister due to his unsatisfactory handling of post-quake crisis and failure to contain the ensuing nuclear disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The ruling Democratic Party of Japan is planning to pick a new leader on August 29, moving closer to the election of the sixth prime minister since 2006, as the new government is facing a number of economic problems and the prospect of dealing with the outcome of the March double natural disaster.