Suga Favorite to Win Japan LDP Leadership Poll

Tokyo, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga is increasingly likely to win the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Sept. 14 leadership race as he has secured the backing of five major factions.

Suga, 71, is set to announce his bid for the LDP presidency Wednesday. He is expected to garner votes from an overwhelming majority of the party's lawmakers, including members of the biggest faction with 98 lawmakers led by former Secretary-General Hiroyuki Hosoda.

Meanwhile, LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Fumio Kishida, 63, and former Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba, 63, declared their candidacies Tuesday.

Defense Minister Taro Kono, widely considered a potential candidate, told reporters that he will not run this time.

The party's election to choose the successor to outgoing President Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, therefore will be a three-way battle among Suga, Kishida and Ishiba.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]