Reaping Strong Criticism Regarding COVID-19, Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga Chooses To Resign

PM Jepang Yoshihide Suga. (Wikimedia Commons / Prime Minister's Office Homepage)

JAKARTA - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga chose to resign and will not run in this month's party leadership election, amid strong criticism over his handling of COVID-19.

Prime Minister Suga, who took office in September last year, chose to set the stage for his successor, after about a year in office, citing Reuters from Kyodo News September 3.

PM Suga, who took over after Shinzo Abe stepped down last September, citing poor health, has seen his support rating drop below 30 percent, as the country struggles with its worst wave of COVID-19 infections ahead of this year's general election.

Meanwhile, the party leadership election is scheduled for September 29. The winner is confirmed to be Japan's PM because of the majority of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in the lower house. The government has considered holding a general election on October 17.

Yoshihide Suga planned to reshuffle his party's cabinet and executive, but that plan is no longer in effect, two party sources told Reuters, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

Separately, Fumio Kishida, a former foreign minister, is poised to compete for the position of party leader. On Thursday, Kishida criticized Suga's coronavirus response and urged a stimulus package to fight the pandemic.

Unlike last year, grassroots LDP members will vote together with their MPs, which makes the outcome of the party leadership election more difficult to predict. Novice MPs, fearful of losing their seats, may be wary of following their parents' orders.

According to Kyodo News, in addition to Fumio Kishida, Sanae Takaichi, Japan's former minister of internal affairs and communications, has expressed interest in running.