TOKYO: ISHIBA Shigeru, former secretary-general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, remains the top favorite to become the LDP’s next leader, a Jiji Press opinion poll showed Thursday.

In the August poll, Ishiba was backed by 18.7 percent of respondents, followed by former Environment Minister KOIZUMI Shinjiro with 12.5 percent, economic security minister TAKAICHI Sanae with 6.5 percent, digital transformation minister KONO Taro with 5.2 percent, and Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio and Foreign Minister KAMIKAWA Yoko, both with 4.7 percent.

Ishiba and Koizumi ranked first and second, respectively, as in the July poll, while Takaichi moved up from fifth place.

Among other names floated as possible successors to Kishida, LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi and former internal affairs minister Seiko Noda were cited by 1.0 percent each, while former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi by 0.3 percent.

Of respondents who support the LDP, 16.8 percent supported Ishiba, and 11.8 pct each backed Koizumi and Takaichi. Kishida came in fourth, with 11.3 percent.

Meanwhile, when asked who is the best person to be the next leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, 14.9 pct of respondents pointed to former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, and 14.6 percent to former party chief Yukio Edano. Current leader Kenta Izumi was backed by 9.3 percent.

In the latest poll, 2,000 people aged 18 and older were interviewed nationwide from Friday to Monday. Of them, 59.7 percent gave valid responses.

JIJI Press