TOKYO: Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga won’t run for the leadership of the governing party, indicating he would step down as Japanese leader at the end of this month, a party official said.
Suga told executives of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday that he would not run in the leadership race set for September 29, LDP Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai told reporters.
Liberal Democratic Party has the majority in Parliament, meaning the new government leader likely would be whoever is elected the party’s leader.
The move is largely a political decision, so the LDP can have a fresh leader before national elections later this year. The lower house term ends in late October and elections for the new Parliament must be held by late November.