Japan PM Suga to step down as Prime Minister -Kyodo news (updated)
03/09/2021 04:24
(Changes attribution, updates throughout)
By Yoshifumi Takemoto and Antoni Slodkowski
TOKYO, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide
Suga will step down, Kyodo news reported on Friday, and party
sources said he would not run in a ruling party leader race in
September, setting the stage for his replacement after just one
year in office.
Suga, who took over after Shinzo Abe resigned last
September, citing ill health, has seen his support ratings sink
to below 30% as the nation struggles with its worst wave of
COVID-19 infections ahead of a general election this year.
The party leader contest is slated for Sept. 29, and the
winner is all but assured of being premier because of the LDP's
majority in the lower house. The government has been considering
holding the general election on Oct. 17.
Suga was planning to reshuffle his cabinet and party
executives, but those plans were no longer valid, two party
sources told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity because
of the sensitivity of the situation.
Fumio Kishida, a former foreign minister, is competing for
the party leader post. On Thursday, Kishida criticised https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-politics-idAFKBN2FY01W
Suga's coronavirus response and urged a stimulus package to
combat the pandemic.
Unlike last year, grassroots LDP members will vote along
with its members of parliament, which makes the outcome of the
party leader race harder to predict. Novice MPs, fearful of
losing their seats, may be wary of following their elders'
orders.
(Reporting by Antoni Slodkowski. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
((antoni.slodkowski@thomsonreuters.com; +81-80-3559-9968;
Reuters Messaging:
antoni.slodowski.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))