Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga abruptly announced on September 3 that he will not run for the LDP’s presidential election which is scheduled to be held on September 29. Since the term of his presidency expires at the end of this month, it means he will also resign as Prime Minister at the end of September. Probably the Prime Minister’s decision comes from the public’s rising disapproval ratings toward his regime, and his struggle to cope with various difficult issues concerning coronavirus infections. His decision to resign made me aware of the severity of the Prime Minister’s responsibility.
The LDP presidential election campaign will start on September 17. In addition to Mr. Fumio Kishida, who served as Chairperson of the LDP Policy Research Council and Minister for Foreign Affairs, several Diet members in the LDP are planning to run for the presidential election. The Diet members of the LDP are now earnestly arguing about the candidates’ leadership capabilities and policies, and it will surely stimulate the discussions on the LDP’s current policies and activities. While most probably the general election of members of the House of Representatives will be held in October, I hope this LDP presidential election will serve as a preliminary and bring about a positive impact on the LDP in the upcoming general election of members of the House of Representatives.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Prime Minister Suga for his contributions for the sake of the Japanese nation for the past year. Meanwhile, I received a call on my cell phone from Minister in charge of Administrative Reforms Taro Kono, who intends to run for the LDP presidential election. I encouraged him to do his best.
The Prime Minister’s announcement of his resignation on September 3 attracted wide press coverage, and I have frequently been asked for comments since the next day. Regarding the question on which candidate for the LDP presidential election I should vote for, I will make a deliberate decision from my political viewpoints. As for the upcoming general election of members of the House of Representatives, I will make my best efforts to win.
