Japanese Prime Minister Plans Not To Lead the Party in the Next Election, Considers Resignation

Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese prime minister, informed members of his governing party that he intends to retire after roughly a year in office, igniting a race to replace him.

Suga Announces He Will Not Run in the Upcoming Election

In a recently published article in MSN News, Suga said Friday at a press conference in Tokyo that he would not run for head of the governing Liberal Democratic Party this month. Because of the LDP's parliamentary majority, whoever wins the next leader is almost certain to become Prime Minister.

Suga told reporters in a brief statement without taking questions that the battle against COVID-19 has been at the forefront of his efforts since he became Prime Minister a year ago. He also emphasized that dealing with the pandemic while campaigning for the election would require a significant amount of energy and that he recognized he could not do both and had to choose one.

Meanwhile, party secretary-general Toshihiro Nikai told the reporters that during their meeting, Suga wanted to focus on the policies to combat the impact of COVID-19 and its increasing number of infections. Nikai also confirmed that Suga will not run, according to a published article in The New York Times.

Spike of New COVID-19 Infections in Japan Affects Suga's Rating

After his predecessor Shinzo Abe became Japan's longest-serving prime minister, Suga took office in September 2020, aiming to prevent reverting to the days of short-term leaders. However, a slow reaction from COVID-19, as well as corruption scandals and issues surrounding the Olympics, all took their toll.

Suga's popularity had plunged in the weeks after the Tokyo Olympics as virus cases spread throughout the country. He has suffered a series of defeats in recent weeks, including the loss last month of one of his friends in a race for mayor of Yokohama, the city where he started his political career, according to a report published in Bakersfield.

Nikai also shared to the reporters, "To be honest, I'm surprised. But I believe he came to this decision after thinking about it deeply." Suga also postponed plans for a governing party executive change next week.

General Election in Japan

In a published article in Miami Herald, by the end of November, Japan must conduct a general election, in which the governing alliance is expected to retain power despite losing seats. The major opposition party's popularity is in the single digits.

Former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Suga's sole announced opponent for the party leadership, has pledged to spend more money to combat the virus and reinvigorate the LDP by hiring younger executives. Public opinion surveys indicate that Taro Kono, the government's vaccination czar and a former foreign minister, has widespread backing.

Shigeru Ishiba, a former defense minister, is often included in media surveys as one of the most popular candidates for future Prime Minister. A year ago, he ran against Suga. According to Kyohei Morita, chief Japan economist at Credit Agricole Securities Asia, Kishida's prospects of becoming Prime Minister have improved.