Japan’s prime minister quits re-election over criticism of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic

Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, announced on Friday that He will resign to continue as prime minister by assuring that he will not run for re-election as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (PLD) in the elections called for the month of September.

I will not run for president Because I want to focus on managing the epidemic,” he said. He said this Friday at first during an extraordinary meeting of the party, according to sources familiar with the chain NHK.

Later, Suga confirmed himself Media that will not participate in the race for government party leadership to focus on responding to the crisis caused by COVID-19 He announced that he will present a press conference next week to explain his decision, according to the agency Kyodo.

squad The primaries were scheduled for September 29, One day before the end of the current prime minister’s term.

His resignation from running for the presidency of the PLD means his end as president of the office, because due to the majority of training in Parliament, Usually the party leader also holds the position of head of government.

At the start of his term as prime minister, Suga, 72, had a high approval rating, around 70 percent, so far. His popularity has fallen to 26 percent due to his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, It is the lowest level since he took office in September 2020 after the resignation of Shinzo Abe.

very, He was criticized for insisting on going ahead with the Tokyo Olympics Despite the emergency in the Japanese capital due to the high rates of COVID-19 infection.

their competitors’ response

One of his competitors in the PLD elections, Former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida confirmed his intention to continue the race for the party’s leadership. Kyodo said “nothing has changed” after hearing the news.

On the other hand, the former Minister of the Interior and Communications Sana Takeshi who have also expressed interest in running for the PLD elections, She said she was “shocked” by the prime minister’s announcement.

in Japan The general election is also coming Since the end of the mandates of Representatives of the House of Representatives on October 21.

(With information from EFE)

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