Japan’s Suga wins ruling party leadership race to replace Abe

By: 4 years ago

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga smiles during his regular news conference at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Tokyo, Japan, September 14, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

TOKYO — Japan’s Yoshihide Suga, a long-time ally of outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, won a ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election on Monday, paving the way for him to become prime minister in a parliamentary vote this week.

Suga, 71, who served in the powerful post of chief cabinet secretary during Abe’s nearly eight-year tenure, has said he will pursue his predecessor’s “Abenomics” recipe of hyper-easy monetary policy, government spending and reform and follow a diplomatic line centered on the U.S.-Japan security alliance.