Japan ruling party to choose next PM on Sept 27
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The decision follows Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s bombshell announcement last week that he will not seek re-election.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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TOKYO – Japan’s ruling party said on Aug 20 it will select a new leader – and by extension the likely next prime minister – on Sept 27.
The announcement follows current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s shock decision last week
Campaigning to become the next Liberal Democratic Party president will begin on Sept 12 with a vote two weeks later, an internal committee decided early on Aug 20, a party official told AFP.
In office since October 2021, the 67-year-old Kishida has seen his and his party’s poll ratings slide sharply in response to rising prices and several scandals.
But he won plaudits abroad during his stint in power, siding decisively with Ukraine after Russia’s invasion, and with US encouragement moved to make Japanese defence policy more muscular to counter China.
Who will succeed him remains to be seen, with a hodgepodge of candidates, from party veterans to rising young stars and three women, reportedly weighing their chances and seeking to rally intra-party support.
They include former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba, former environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi who, if elected, would be Japan’s first female premier. AFP
