JAPAN—In a surprise move, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Friday that he would step down after only a year in office, pockmarked by the dreadful COVID-19 response and diminishing support from the public.
Suga, who took over former PM Shinzo Abe, saw his ratings drop to a low of 30 percent as Japan struggles with its worst wave of COVID-19 infections this year.
PM Suga did not take advantage of his last major achievement—hosting the Olympics, postponed months before because of COVID-19 surges in the nation.
His decision to not apply for reelection as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president this month would only mean that the party will choose a new leader to become the new prime minister.
Suga intended to focus on coronavirus response so he decided to not run in the leadership race. According to him, he has already judged that he cannot do both and instead he will direct his efforts on either one of them.
There is no clear frontrunner yet, but the minister in charge of vaccine rollout in Japan, Tara Kono, has declared his intention to run.
Japan has had already six prime ministers in as many years, including former PM Abe’s eight-year tenure, the longest-serving PM thus far.
(PHOTO CREDIT: japantimes.co.jp)