Abe’s Right-Hand Man Seeks to Succeed Him in Japan, Reports Say

(Bloomberg) -- The man who supported Japan’s Shinzo Abe throughout his record-breaking tenure as prime minister, is set to enter the race to succeed him, the Yomiuri and Asahi newspapers said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga may announce his intentions on whether he’ll seek to step into his ailing boss’s shoes after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party decides Tuesday on the procedure for picking a new leader, Kyodo News reported. If Suga decides to run, he would be considered among the top choices to replace Abe, who announced his resignation on Friday, citing a flare-up of a chronic health condition.

Suga would be seen as a continuity candidate as Japan tried to rebuild an economy that saw its worst economic contraction on record in the April-June period due to the coronavirus pandemic. Abe has said he will step down when a leader is selected, likely later in September, and he doesn’t plan to offer any endorsement for a successor.

Abe spoke with President Donald Trump, who praised him as the greatest prime minister in Japan’s history, according to a White House readout of their call on Sunday evening Washington time. In 2016, Abe became the first leader of a major nation to court Trump following his election -- working to maintain personal ties through golf games and hamburger lunches, despite differences of opinion.

Suga declined to comment on his plans at a Monday briefing, adding he hasn’t discussed party succession with Abe. The LDP has run the country for most of the last 65 years, and the party leader is almost assured of serving as prime minister.

A faction led by party No. 2, Toshihiro Nikai has already declared its intention to back Suga in the race, the Yomiuri said. Nikai cited continuity as a factor in the decision.

Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba plans to declare soon his intention to run for the election, media reports have said. Other names mentioned in local media on Sunday included Defense Minister Taro Kono and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.

Opinion polls show Ishiba, who had long distanced himself from the Abe administration, is the public’s top choice for the post. Much depends on the method of voting employed. A full election involving the more than a million members of the LDP would be expected to favor Ishiba. However, if the party opts for a slimmed-down process involving mostly lawmakers, momentum would swing toward Suga.

The party plans to decide details of the election at a general council meeting on Tuesday, and the leadership vote may be held Sept. 15, Kyodo News reported. The new premier will be formally voted through parliament on Sept. 17, the news agency said.

Abe said Friday that he would step down to undergo treatment for ulcerative colitis, a chronic digestive condition that also forced him to step down as premier in 2007. The resignation came as a shock even within the LDP, with Suga saying on Thursday that Abe should be able to serve out the remainder of his premiership after questions were raised about his health.

Suga, the top government spokesman and Abe’s right-hand man since 2012, believes his ability to manage crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, and the role he played in spurring Japan’s economic revival should give him an edge, according to Kyodo.

Ishiba is seen by the public as most fit to succeed Abe as LDP party leader, according to a Kyodo poll released on Sunday, with 34.3% of support among those surveyed. He has backed economic policies seen as more populist than Abe’s, and has opposed party moves that might have irritated China. Ishiba was the only politician to run against Abe in the last party race in 2018. Suga had 14.3%, and Kono had 13.6% support in the Kyodo poll.

Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the 39-year-old son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and a rising political star, won’t join the race but would back Kono if he does, national broadcaster NHK reported.

While Japan’s Covid-19 death toll has been far lower than those in other Group of Seven advanced countries, the pandemic caused a record annualized 27.8% economic contraction in the three months through June from the previous quarter. Abe launched a stimulus package including cash handouts to struggling households to cope with the negative economic impact.

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