Nepal condoles death of Shinzo Abe, announces day of national mourning

Kathmandu [Nepal], July 8 (ANI): Nepal has announced a day of national mourning on July 9 following the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was shot on Friday during an election campaign in the Japanese city of Nara.
A meeting of Nepal’s Council of Ministers on Friday evening decided to observe July 9 as a day of national mourning. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba also sent a message of condolence to Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida on the assassination of Abe.
“The Prime Minister strongly condemned the heinous attack. In the message, Prime Minister Deuba stated that the late Abe was a visionary statesman, a charismatic leader and a relentless champion of democratic values and ideals. He has also stated that Abe’s demise is an irreparable loss not only for Japan but also for the world at large,” a release from Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
In the release, the Prime Minister further mentioned that Abe was a close friend and well-wisher of Nepal and recalled his contributions to further promoting and consolidating friendly ties between Nepal and Japan during his long tenure as Prime Minister of Japan.
Nepal’s former Prime Minister and Chairman of the opposition Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) KP Sharma Oli also took to Twitter condoling the assassination of Abe.
“I am deeply saddened by the demise of Shinzo Abe, the former PM of Japan. I strongly condemn the barbaric murder of the former PM. Abe was a friend of Nepal and had played an important role in strengthening Nepal-Japan relations during his premiership. My thoughts and heartfelt condolences go to his bereaved family in this sorrowful time,” Oli tweeted.
After the attack, Abe was rushed to hospital and initial media reports citing authorities said that it appeared that the former Japanese Premier was shot in the chest. They described his condition as in “cardiopulmonary arrest” and said he showed no vital signs.
Public broadcaster NHK later reported, citing ruling Liberal Democratic Party sources that Abe, had died. Abe died at 5:03 p.m. (local time) and had two gunshot wounds in his neck, according to officials from Nara Medical University Hospital.
Japanese police arrested a suspect for shooting Abe identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old resident of Nara City, according to local media. A gun that appeared to be handmade was retrieved from the site where Abe was campaigning for a candidate ahead of Sunday’s elections for Japan’s upper house of Parliament.
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons. He was Prime Minister of Japan twice, from 2006-07 and again from 2012-20. He was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga and later by Fumio Kishida.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier in his live address to the country today said “this is not a forgivable act,” and that authorities would “take appropriate measures to handle the situation.”
Kishida further said that the motive behind Abe’s shooting is not yet known. The media outlet citing government sources also reported that Abe’s shooting suspect is an ex-member of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. Kishida also urged everyone to not speculate about any political ramifications at the time. (ANI)