Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will not run for the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) in an election scheduled for September 29 and will, in effect, step down, PLD number two Toshihiro has announced. Nikai, this Friday.
Yoshihide Suga "said he wanted to focus his efforts on measures against the coronavirus and that he would not participate in the election" for the presidency of the PLD, Toshihiro Nikai told reporters.
“Honestly, I'm surprised,” he added.
“It's really unfortunate.
He did his best but after careful consideration he made his decision ”.
Popularity in free fall
This development was indeed very unexpected, because Yoshihide Suga, 72, had so far been considered the favorite in this internal vote to lead the PLD in legislative elections due to be held this fall, despite record unpopularity of his government in the polls.
At the end of August, his government received only 26% of favorable opinions in a poll by the daily Mainichi, a record low.
Other recent polls put it barely above 30%.
Yoshihide Suga has seen his popularity wane for months for his much-criticized handling of the dragging pandemic in Japan, and for his stubbornness in sustaining the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer at all costs despite opposition from a majority of the Japanese population.
He came to power in September 2020, establishing himself at the time as the man of consensus within the PLD to succeed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, of whom he was until then the loyal lieutenant and who had abruptly resigned for health reasons.
World
In Japan, Macron and Abe show their complicity
World
Coronavirus: 1.63 million Moderna vaccines suspended in Japan due to an anomaly
Shinzo abe
Japan
Elections
World