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TOKYO: Former Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida officially announced on Tuesday (September 1) that he would run for the elections of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to choose the successor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Abe said last Friday that he was resigning due to health problems, and that his long battle with ulcerative colitis ended his term as Japan’s longest-serving prime minister.
The PLD president is practically certain of being prime minister due to the majority of the party in the lower house of parliament.
READ: Comment: Japan’s longest-serving prime minister has run out of time on unfinished business
Former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba also announced on Tuesday that he will run for the leadership of Japan’s ruling party and said he regretted that ordinary party members cannot vote.
Ishiba is one of the favorites to lead the PLD in opinion polls, but the reduced version of the elections that officials have announced is expected to work against him.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his resignation on Friday due to a worsening chronic illness. The chief secretary of the cabinet, Yoshihide Suga, considered the favorite, is another contender in the race.
Public broadcaster NHK reported Tuesday that Suga has earned the backing of the largest faction of the ruling party to become its next leader, making him a strong favorite to become the next prime minister.
Suga is expected to stay the course of the policy set by Abe, including the “Abenomics” strategy aimed at reviving the economy and keeping it afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
