Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s decision on Friday not to seek a new term as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has scrambled the fortunes of ambitious politicians, as well as the ruling and opposition blocs.
What once seemed to be certain — that the LDP would have to contest a general election with a deeply unpopular leader deemed to have mishandled a major public health crisis — is now anything but. Suddenly the LDP has an opportunity to opt for a new, more popular leader ahead of the general election that must be held no later than November 28.
The above excerpt was originally published in Nikkei Asia.
Click here to view the full article.