Upcoming elections

Hosting the Olympics has always held an immense amount of political prestige, so failing to do so would be yet another blemish for the new

Government and could doom its prospects in the next national election, due by October 21.

Suga will also face another ballot for his party leadership on September 30.

There are some rumours that a powerbroker in the party, Toshihiro Nikai, could withdraw his support for Suga in favour of another candidate. One name being floated as a possible replacement is Seiko Noda, who could become the first female prime minister of Japan if this came to pass.

Then there is the financial cost to the country. After the postponement last March, the official cost of the Games rose by 22% to $US15.4 billion

($NZ21.4 billion), though audits by the Government have shown the true cost to be $US25 billion.

The Government, too, is responsible for all of the costs, except for $6.7 billion in a privately funded operating budget. This would add to the huge fiscal deficit and public debt the Government has run up due to its stimulus spending to counter the pandemic. The Olympic torch relay is due to start in Fukushima on March 25, which presents a deadline for a final decision on whether the Games can proceed.

The IOC has said the Olympics cannot be delayed any further and will have to be cancelled if they cannot begin safely in July.

Unless the Suga Government can quickly tackle the pandemic more effectively, it may soon find hosting the Games has slipped beyond its control — and its political fate along with it. — theconversation.com