Japan PM Suga to back vaccine minister Kono to succeed him
The Peninsula
Tokyo: Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will back the popular minister in charge of the nation's vaccination rollout, Taro Kono, to succeed him, Nippon News Network reported on Saturday.
Political manoeuvring was heating up among potential candidates and ruling party grandees on Saturday, a day after Suga's surprise announcement that he was stepping down, ending a one-year term as prime minister that has seen his support crumble as COVID-19 surged. Hours after Suga's announcement, broadcaster TBS reported, without citing sources, that Kono intended to run for head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Kono told reporters only that he wanted to consult party colleagues before deciding.More Related News