Japan PM Yoshihide Suga not to run for Presidential election

Suga on Wednesday ruled out dissolving the House of Representatives for a general election anytime soon, given Japan's current severe COVID-19 situation and said the LDP leadership election scheduled for September 29 will not be postponed.

Some LDP lawmakers had thought that Suga would dissolve the House of Representatives in mid-September in order to win at least a modest general election victory before facing off against rivals including former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in the party leadership race.

"Honestly, I'm surprised. It's truly regrettable. He did his best but after careful consideration, he made this decision," said the secretary-general of LDP Toshihiro Nikai, according to an AFP report.

Though widely expected to run for the party leadership position, Suga's government ratings have depreciated to 31.8 per cent last month, as per a poll conducted by the Kyodo News agency.

The island nation's PM and son of a strawberry farming family had a long ride to reach the helm of affairs. Suga's first taste of success at politics was getting elected to the Yokohama City Council in 1987.

He has also held the position of Senior Vice Minister of Internal Affairs and Communication in 2005. It was only last year that he became Japan's PM after Shinzo Abe resigned due to health concerns.