TOKYO: Former Japanese Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide will be one of key players in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s coming leadership race as a candidate backed by him could draw broad support from nonmainstream members of the party.

Suga, who has distanced himself from current Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio, hopes to back a figure that can turn around the party from its woes linked to a political funds scandal, people familiar with his thinking said. Kishida’s current term as LDP president expires in September.

In a speech to a meeting of the LDP chapter in Kagoshima Prefecture Saturday, Suga recalled his 2020 party leadership bid while not commenting on the next race.

Names being considered by Suga as possible challengers to Kishida include former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

Suga has praised Ishiba for his willingness to criticize a leader and considered giving him a key position during his stint as prime minister. Ishiba consistently ranks high in polls on whom the public wishes to become the next prime minister.

The former prime minister has told aides that the LDP leadership race is the biggest opportunity for Ishiba, given a possible election for the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, and an election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, set for summer next year.

Suga has long viewed Koizumi as a possible future leader, and invited him to a meeting Suga held Thursday with former LDP policy chief Koichi Hagiuda and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato. Aides said Suga views Koizumi as a possible option this time, but said he has concerns over the former environment minister’s young age, at 43, and limited experience in key posts.

People familiar with the situation said Suga also is considering Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, viewed as a possible contender to be Japan’s first female prime minister, and Kato, with whom Suga served in key posts under former Prime Minister ABE Shinzo.

Meanwhile, Suga’s relationship with digital transformation minister Taro Kono has turned somewhat sour recently, due to little progress in efforts to promote the use of My Number personal identification numbers, a program overseen by Kono and strongly supported by Suga.

Suga has also been uncomfortable with Kono’s decision to stay in an LDP faction, despite many other party factions having disbanded in the wake of the funds scandal.

The former prime minister has told aides that he has not made up his mind about who to support. A lawmaker close to him said that he is “unlikely to reveal his pick until the last moment.”

JIJI Press