TOKYO: Former Japanese Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is viewed as the most suitable lawmaker in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to become prime minister, a Jiji Press survey showed.

Koizumi was selected by 16.0 pct of respondents, followed by former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba with 15.0 pct and digital transformation minister Taro Kono with 8.8 pct.

Former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga came in fourth place at 6.2 pct, followed by economic security minister Sanae Takaichi at 5.0 pct.

In the survey conducted over four days through Monday, respondents were presented with a total of 14 LDP members of parliament.

The top five picks were also the most popular choices in an April poll on 11 ruling and opposition lawmakers. Kono topped the April ranking.

In the latest survey, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa came sixth with 3.1 pct, ahead of current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at 1.6 pct.

The remaining seven — Yuko Obuchi, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Seiko Noda, Koichi Hagiuda, Toshimitsu Motegi, Yasutoshi Nishimura and Katsunobu Kato — all polled below 1 pct.

The survey showed that 20.6 pct said that no one on the list is suitable to become prime minister, and that 19.7 pct said they did not know.

The interview survey covered 2,000 people aged 18 or older across Japan. Valid responses came from 59.4 pct of them.

JIJI Press