Arab News Japan

TOKYO: KONO Taro, Minister in charge of Administrative Reform is the politician most favored to be Japan’s prime minister after the next election of the House of Representatives, a survey by the Mainichi Shimbun and Social Survey Research Center showed.

Prime Minister Suga was elected in September last year to serve the remainder of Shinzo Abe’s term that will extend into September of this year. 

Current Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide dropped to third place behind ISHIBA Shigeru , former secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

 Kono received approval from 85 people, or 12 percent of respondents. Ishiba gained the support from 73 people (10 percent) while fifty-nine people (8 percent) named current Prime Minister Suga.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Minister of the Environment Shinjiro Koizumi were both cited by 25 people (4 percent), putting them up one and two spots, respectively, the survey found.

Leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Yukio Edano, was in sixth place with 18 respondents (3 percent) naming him. Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike and former Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto each came in seventh place, with 16 respondents (2 percent) naming them.

The term for lower house members ends  in October this year.