According to reports reaching Oyogist.com, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has announced that he will not run in a ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership race later this month, paving the way for his replacement after just one year in office.
“Running in the race and handling coronavirus countermeasures would have required an enormous amount of energy,” he told reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
Suga, 72, had took over office amist the country’s continuous struggle with the worst wave of COVID-19 infections, ahead of a general election this year.
“Today at the executive meeting, [party] president Suga said he wants to focus his efforts on anti-coronavirus measures and will not run in the leadership election,” Toshihiro Nikai, the LDP’s secretary-general, told reporters after news of Suga’s departure was reported.
Honestly, I’m surprised. It’s truly regrettable. He did his best but after careful consideration, he made this decision,” he added.
