Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga won't run for governing party leadership election, indicating he will step down as the Japanese leader at the end of this month, public broadcaster NHK said.
Suga told executives of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday that he will not run for the leadership race set for Sept. 29, NHK said. Suga will also step down from the position of prime minister. The surprise announcement comes in less than a year after Suga was sworn in. Suga, in September 2020, replaced PM Shinzo Abe, who also belongs to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The new premier of the country would likely be the elected leader of the LDP as the party holds majority seats in the parliament. Suga announced that he announcement
Suga has faced criticism and nosediving support ratings over slow coronavirus measures and holding the Olympics despite the public's health concerns.
Former foreign minister Fumio Kishida has already thrown his hat in the ring as a contender for the post, Reuters reporters.
“I want to focus on coronavirus response, so I told the LDP executive meeting that I've decided not to run in the party leadership race,” Suga told Reuters.
Former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba is also a contender for the post, so is former foreign and defence minister Taro Kono.
