Japan ruling party MP calls on PM to quit soon: Report

TOKYO - A member of parliament from Japan's ruling party called on Tuesday for Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan to step down as soon as possible, Kyodo news agency said, as pressure grows on the unpopular premier to resign or call a snap election.

"It is important that Prime Minister Naoto Kan would resign as soon as possible," Kyodo quoted Kenko Matsuki, a Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) lawmaker close to Kan rival and scandal-tainted powerbroker Ichiro Ozawa, as telling reporters.

Matsuki's call underscores the difficulties facing Kan, who suffered a fresh blow this week when his foreign minister abruptly quit over a political donation scandal.