While some other would-be successors have declared their intention to run, the 71-year-old Suga has said he doesn't want the job. "They are really going to try to get Suga to replace Abe and continue the Abe government without Abe," said Sophia University political science professor Koichi Nakano. The winner of the LDP vote, which domestic media said could be held around Sept 15, is virtually ensured the premiership because of the party's majority in parliament. Former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba, 63, a soft-spoken security hawk who aims to revive Japan's regional economies, is also expected to run. A long-time Abe critic, Ishiba is popular with the public but less so among party members of parliament.

Source: bd News24 August 29, 2020 08:26 UTC