COVID boss, woman MP battle for Japan PM's job

Japan's minister in charge of COVID-19 vaccinations is seen as the most suitable candidate to become the next prime minister.

But a female former internal affairs minister has secured backing for her bid for the top job, media reported on yesterday.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced on Friday he was stepping down, throwing a spotlight on a ruling party leadership election due on September 29, with the winner of that taking over as prime minister.

The Kyodo news agency said nearly a third of respondents to a telephone poll it conducted this weekend said the minister in charge of vaccinations, Taro Kono, was most suitable to succeed Suga as premier.

Kono has not confirmed his intention to seek the leadership of ruling Liberal Democratic Party, telling reporters only that he wanted to consult party colleagues before deciding.

But broadcaster TBS reported on Friday, without citing sources, that Kono intended to run in the wide-open race.

Kono got a possible boost on Saturday when the Nippon News Network reported that Suga would back him to succeed him if he were to run.

Kono was named by 31.9 percent of respondents in the Kyodo poll as the most suitable person to succeed Suga, trailed by former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba with 26.6 percent, and former foreign minister Fumio Kishida with 18.8 percent.

Kishida, who has already thrown his hat in the ring for the LDP's race, said yesterday debate on funding economic stimulus measures he has proposed should wait until after a general election later this year.

Former internal affairs minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to be one of the two women hoping to become Japan's first women premier.

She had secured the backing of the 20 LDP lawmakers needed to run in the party's leadership race, public broadcaster NHK said.