TOKYO (REUTERS) - Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga signalled the possibility of calling a snap election if he were to become the country's next prime minister, the Asahi newspaper reported on Tuesday (Sept 8), as the ruling party formally kicked off its leadership race.
Suga, a favourite to succeed incumbent prime minister Shinzo Abe, who is stepping down due to poor health, also stressed Japan's resolve to hold next year's Tokyo Olympic Games despite the challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
"We'd like to contain the pandemic and make this happen," Suga was quoted as saying in an interview by Asahi. "There are various, extraordinary merits for Japan to host the Games."
He also said the views of pandemic experts were important in judging whether Covid-19 was slowing down enough for the next prime minister to call a snap election, according to Asahi.
"There's no change to my stance as chief cabinet minister that what the public wants from the government most is to focus on measures to deal with the coronavirus pandemic," Suga was quoted as saying.
"But the prime minister has the right to dissolve parliament (and call a snap election). If the next premier decides to call one, that should be the case. If not, it won't happen," he said.
Suga is widely expected to win the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) leadership election on Sept. 14, a date set after Abe's decision to step down last month. The winner is virtually assured of becoming premier because of the LDP's parliamentary majority.
Markets have been rife with speculation that Suga, upon becoming prime minister, may call a snap election in coming months to solidify his political grip.
That speculation got a boost after opinion polls showed a jump in voter approval of Suga and of Abe's achievements.
The LDP leadership race among Suga and two rivals - former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba and ex-foreign minister Fumio Kishida - kicks off formally on Tuesday.
But Suga, chief cabinet secretary since December 2012, has already locked in support from most of the party's factions.
In his first campaign speech, Suga, 71, said he would pursue his boss's signature "Abenomics" policies of hyper-easy monetary policy and government spending while grappling with the twin challenges of a coronavirus outbreak and reviving the virus-hit economy.
"We must first overcome this (pandemic) crisis, and then want to achieve strong economic growth by carrying out intensive reform and necessary investment to aim for new targets such as digitalisation and supply chains," Suga said, adding he wants to break down bureaucratic barriers to reforms.
Japan's economy sank deeper into its worst postwar contraction in the second quarter as the coronavirus jolted businesses more than initially thought, data showed on Tuesday.
Suga, who has little diplomatic experience, will also confront a range of geopolitical challenges, including building ties with the winner of the US presidential election and dealing with tensions with China over its maritime assertiveness.
In remarks light on security and foreign affairs, Suga noted that Japan's security environment was tough and said he wanted to build "stable ties" with Japan's neighbours, including China.
He gave little space to the issue of revising Japan's post-war, pacifist constitution - one of Abe's cherished goals - saying only he wanted to pursue "constructive debate" that went beyond the ruling-opposition parties' divide.
