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TOKYO: Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) plans to hold a leadership vote on September 14 to replace Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who resigns due to health concerns, local media reported on Monday (August 31).
The new party leader will become the country’s next prime minister, due to the party’s parliamentary majority, with four possible candidates vying for the position.
READ: Who could lead Japan after Shinzo Abe?
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, told US President Donald Trump on Monday that the strengthening of the alliance of his two nations will continue even after he leaves office, a government spokesman said. Japanese.
But Abe’s successor will face an overwhelming list of economic, diplomatic and security problems, ranging from a stagnant economy hit by the coronavirus pandemic to tensions between China and the United States.
READ: Comment: Will replacing Abe leave Japan in limbo?
In the race to succeed Abe as the next prime minister, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba is the most popular choice with the public, media opinion polls showed.
But Ishiba, a vocal critic of Abe, could face an uphill battle if he declares his candidacy, with local media reporting that Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga will receive the backing of several major factions within the ruling PLD.
Ishiba has about 34 percent of the public’s support, more than double the 14 percent for Suga, the second most popular choice, a Kyodo News poll showed over the weekend.
A Nikkei-TV Tokyo poll showed Ishiba 28 percent support, followed by current Defense Minister Taro Kono with 15 percent. Suga came in fourth with 11 percent, the poll showed.
The polls highlight a division between public opinion and the internal politics of the PLD.
Suga, a former lieutenant of Abe in a key supporting role, will join the race to replace his boss with the expected support of the faction led by LDP Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai and other important factions, making him will place you in a favorable position.
Suga declined to comment on Monday when asked about the LDP leadership race at his regular press conference as the government’s top spokesperson.
Ishiba, who unsuccessfully challenged the outgoing prime minister in the last race for the leadership of the PLD in 2018 and is considered less popular within the party, has yet to declare whether he will run.
LDP policy chief Fumio Kishida, who announced his intention to stand up, came in last place in both public opinion polls.
Kishida expressed caution on Monday about the idea of lowering the sales tax rate to help the economy weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Brad Glosserman, deputy director of the Center for Policymaking Strategies at Tama University, said Suga was the safe bet in terms of the internal dynamics of the LDP, but that he might not be ideal at the time of the election. General elections must be held at the end of October 2021.
“He doesn’t seem to have the charisma or the vision to push Japan in a new direction. He seems to be the eternal Number Two, he keeps the promises made by his boss,” Glosserman said.
Abe announced on Friday that he was resigning due to health problems, and his long battle with ulcerative colitis ended his term as Japan’s longest-serving prime minister.
READ: Prime Minister Lee wishes Japanese Prime Minister Abe a ‘good recovery’
Japan does not elect its leader by direct popular vote. Under the country’s parliamentary political system, legislators elect a prime minister.
That means that the PLD president is practically guaranteed prime minister because of the party majority in the lower house of parliament.
The PLD is scheduled to hold a party meeting on Tuesday where it can formally adopt the September 14 date for the leadership elections, broadcaster FNN said, adding that the vote will take place at a Tokyo hotel in place of your party headquarters to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection.
