Japanese voters strongly support Taro Kono, minister in charge of fighting COVID-19, as the next prime minister according to a second opinion poll, as potential candidates prepare to join what has become a wide-open contest for ruling party leader.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's shock Friday announcement he was stepping down has thrown a ruling Liberal Democratic Party leadership race set for Sept 29 into disarray, with a wide array of candidates set to vie for the top job.According to the survey by the Yomiuri Shimbun daily published on Monday, 23% of respondents said Kono, the minister in charge of vaccines, was the most suitable person to take over - echoing a Sunday poll that had 31.9% favouring Kono.
A former foreign and defence minister, the 58-year-old Kono, educated at Georgetown University and a fluent English speaker, has built a popular following among young voters with an active social media presence in two languages and 2.3 million followers on his Japanese page alone. Kishida, also 64, was seen as likely heir last year when Abe quit due to illness, but his low-key, soft-spoken style typically lands him low in voter surveys. He has called for reducing income disparities and pledged support for the economically vulnerable.
Potential candidates spent a busy weekend meeting with other lawmakers, sounding them out for support, media said. Each needs to gather 20 supporters by Sept 17 to become a formal candidate, with the vote on Sept 29.
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