Yahoo Finance Yoshihide Suga wins party vote paving the way for him to become Japanese PM
Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga was voted leader of the ruling party on Monday, paving the way for him to become the country’s next prime minister.
The appointment of Mr Suga as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will bring to an end the tenure of Shinzo Abe, the nation’s longest serving prime minister, who is stepping down due to ill health.
Mr Suga, long renowned as Mr Abe’s right hand man, is expected to be approved as the nation’s first new PM in nearly eight years as early as Wednesday in the lower house of parliament.
Mr Suga enjoyed a landslide victory over his two rivals – former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba and Fumio Kishida, a former foreign minister – securing 377 out of 534 votes from LDP politicians and regional representatives.
Speaking just before voting began, Mr Suga told supporters: “Victory is right before our eyes. I would like to create a government that’s trusted by the people.”
Mr Suga, 71, the son of a strawberry farmer and, unusually for Japan, a self-made politician, has been a constant if low-key political presence as top government spokesman for the past eight years.
A close policy advisor and staunchly loyal ally of Mr Abe, the self-confessed workaholic he has conducted twice daily press briefings and acquired a reputation for an iron-first approach to policy coordination and bureaucratic wrangling.
Widely regarded as the continuity candidate, Mr Suga pledged during his leadership campaign to continue with many of Mr Abe’s policies, from his signature monetary policies of Abenomics and close security alliance with the US to a revision of the nation’s pacifist constitution.
However, Mr Suga also emphasised that his top priorities will be fighting the coronavirus pandemic balanced with helping to turn around the world’s third largest economy, which has shrunk at its fastest rate on record since the outbreak began.
Mr Suga emerged as a favourite to succeed Mr Abe from the start among LDP heavyweights. Even before he announced his candidacy on September 2, he had already secured the critical backing of five of the party’s seven factions.
However, his administration may well face criticism that his victory appeared to be a done deal, with the closed-door process behind the limited voting process also expected to be cast in the spotlight.
Mr Suga’s term as LDP president is limited to the remainder of the outgoing Mr Abe’s three-year tenure, which is due to last until September next year, although there has been speculation that a snap election may be called in October.
Speaking at the weekend, Taro Aso, the deputy prime minister, said: “Whatever happens, there has to be a lower house election within the next year. If I’m blunt, it might be soon.”
