Japan's cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga to join race for PM's post

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga will join the race to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who would, in turn, become the next country’s premier, a source familiar with the matter told Kyodo News Agency on Sunday.

Suga, the chief spokesperson for the government, informed LDP Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai about his desire to contest the party’s leadership election, a day after Abe announced he would step down as the prime minister because of health concerns, the source said.

Some senior members of the LDP have lauded Suga for his crisis management abilities.