⁍ Japan’s chief government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, is set to announce on Wednesday his candidacy to lead the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
⁍ Suga has not yet declared he would run to succeed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
⁍ But he has privately indicated his intention to do so, a source has told Reuters.
⁍ Suga would compete with ex-defence minister Shigeru Ishiba and ex-foreign minister Fumio Kishida for the post.
– Japan’s next prime minister could be announced as early as Wednesday. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced last week that he would step down, and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is set to formally announce that he will do so on Wednesday, reports the AP. That means that if LDP leader Shigeru Ishiba—who served as defense minister under Abe—and another contender, former foreign minister Fumio Kishida, are both unable to defeat Suga in the party’s leadership contest, the 60-year-old will become the next prime minister. Suga, currently the government’s top spokesman, is widely expected to become prime minister because of the LDP’s majority in the lower house of parliament, reports Reuters.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-politics/japans-suga-expected-to-announce-candidacy-for-pm-race-idUSKBN25T025