Suga wins crucial primary, set to replace Abe as PM
Suga’s election in a parliament vote on Wednesday is all but guaranteed as ruling LDP has majority
Yoshihide Suga was elected the new head of Japan’s ruling party
on Monday, all but assuring that he will become the country’s new prime minister when a parliamentary election is held later in the week. Despite his low-key image, Suga, 71, has been an important figure in outgoing prime minister Shinzo Abe’s administration, serving as the chief cabinet secretary. Abe announced last month that he would resign due to health problems. Suga’s victory in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party vote virtually guarantees his election as PM.
TOKYO: Yoshihide Suga was elected as the new head of Japan’s ruling party on Monday, all but assuring that he will become the country’s new prime minister when a parliamentary election is held later in the week.
Despite his low-key image, Suga, 71, has been an important figure in outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration, serving as the government’s top spokesperson in his role as chief cabinet secretary. Abe said last month that he would resign due to health problems.
Suga’s victory in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) vote virtually guarantees his election in a parliamentary vote Wednesday because of the majority held by the LDP’s ruling coalition.
Suga said he has come a long way. “I will devote all of myself to work for the nation and the people,” he said in his victory speech. He has said that his top priorities will be fighting the coronavirus and turning around an economy battered by the pandemic. He gained the support of party heavyweights and their wing members early in the campaign on expectations that he would continue Abe’s policies.
Suga received 377 votes in Monday’s vote to pick a successor to Abe. Former foreign minister Fumio Kishida, one of the other two contenders, received 89 votes, while former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba got 68.
“Now I’m handing the baton to new LDP president Suga,” Abe said after the vote. “We can count on him.”
Suga has been a loyal supporter of Abe since Abe’s first stint as PM from 2006 to 2007. Abe’s tenure ended because of chronic illness, and Suga helped him return as PM in 2012.
On the surface, Suga is known for offering bland comments. But behind the scenes, he’s known for his iron-fist approach, influencing bureaucrats by using the power of the PMO, leading many to call him the “shadow prime minister”.