(Bloomberg) Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga unveiled plans to step down from his post weeks before the general election, following the surge in the country’s COVID-19 cases.
Suga said he will not seek reelection to lead the Liberal Democratic Party, as he said dealing with the pandemic would take too much energy, and he should choose only one.
Suga’s successor as LDP leader is virtually assured of securing the prime minister, given the dominance in parliament. Among the reported contenders are former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and former Foreign Minister and Vaccine Czar Taro Kono.
Both contenders have earlier negotiated with Japan’s sole military ally the United States, and its biggest trading partner China. The candidates are expected to talk within the party’s faction leaders in the coming days. Kishida is calling for a “several tens of trillion yen” economic stimulus, that will include aid for a broad range of economic sectors, if elected.
Suga saw his approval ratings sink after the country posted a record number of cases amid the hosting of the Tokyo Olympics. Analysts believe he is stepping down because he is “sick and tired” of pressure from issues related to the pandemic.
Japan is set to hold a general election before October 21, with the ruling party likely to retain its power.
