Yoshihide Suga
Secretary General of the Japanese government Yoshihide Suga has been elected the new leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDPJ). Thus, he effectively secured his way to the prime minister, notes Reuters.
Suga, 71, is a supporter of the outgoing head of government, Shinzo Abe. As it became known, he received 377 votes out of 535 possible in an extraordinary party vote. His main rivals in the struggle for the post of LDPJ head – former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and ex-Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida – gained 68 and 89 votes, respectively.
After the election, the Secretary General of the Cabinet noted that without connections he began his path in politics and was able to grow from scratch to the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. “I am fully committed to working for the benefit of Japan and its citizens,” he added. Suga has been considered Abe's successor since his announcement of his resignation.
Voting on the candidacy of the new prime minister will take place in parliament on September 16. Given the majority of the ruling party, Suge's victory is guaranteed. His term as LDPJ leader and head of government will last for about a year, until the next elections.
The upcoming resignation of Japanese Prime Minister Abe became known on 28 August. The decision was made due to health problems: ulcerative colitis, which had long tormented the politician, worsened. Abe said he deeply apologizes for the inability to fulfill his duties and regrets that he did not achieve the conclusion of a peace treaty with Russia.
As a result of the Second World War, a peace treaty was not concluded between Moscow and Tokyo. The main obstacle to its signing was the unresolved territorial dispute over the southern part of the Kuriles – the islands of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai group. The Japanese side calls the South Kuril Islands “northern territories” and does not recognize Russian sovereignty over them. Moscow, in turn, does not recognize the very fact of the territorial dispute.
