Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Former Japanese Environment Minister KOIZUMI Shinjiro has emerged as the most popular choice among the public to replace outgoing Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio, according to a Nikkei opinion poll.

The Nikkei poll asked the public who they thought would be the best choice to become the next leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and, by default, prime minister. Kishida announced last week that he would step down as party president.

Koizumi, the son of former Prime Minister KOIZUMI Junichiro, has always been popular with the public and topped the poll with 23 percent, followed by former LDP Secretary-General ISHIBA Shigeru – the leader in a July poll – with 18 percent. Economic Security Minister TAKAICHI Sanae came in third with 11 percent. 

Among LDP supporters, Koizumi came in first with 32 percent, followed by Takaichi with 15 percent and Ishiba with 14 percent.

Those respondents who do not support any political party put Koizumi first with 20 percent, followed by Ishiba with 17 percent.

The poll also saw the approval rating for Kishida’s cabinet unchanged at 28 percent. The percentage of respondents who said they do not approve of the cabinet rose by two percentage points to 66 percent.