It was like deja vu: Rank-and-file members of Kibo no To (Party of Hope), the nation¡¯s second largest opposition party, had been kept in the dark until the very last minute.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike suddenly announced Tuesday her resignation as the party¡¯s president, shocking party members and drawing strong criticism from the public.

This is the second time she has abruptly abandoned the top position of a new party she herself established. She quit as the head of Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites First) on July 3, just a day after the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, saying she would like to concentrate on her job as governor.