MELBOURNE: Daniel Andrews, the current premier of the Australian state of Victoria, held a snap media conference on Tuesday, announcing that he is resigning from the role after spending almost nine years in office.
The announcement came unexpectedly to local media as the conference was organised with just 40 minutes' notice, reports Xinhua news agency.
For the Labor Party's longest-serving premier in the state, Andrews admitted that it was "not an easy decision".
According to the Parliament of Victoria, Andrews has been serving as the state's premier since December 2014 and leader of the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party since December 2010.