Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he supported MPs of Parliament Taro Kono as his successor in the leadership competition for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Jiji News reported on Friday.
Considered something from a Maverick in a political culture that was mostly conservative, he was a minister responsible for vaccination.
Kono, 58, is a fluent English speaker who graduated from Georgetown University.
He is a diligent Twitter user, with many young fans, rarely in the world of Japanese politics dominated by elderly men.
A liberal on social problems, Kono supports same-sex marriage and advancing the role of women.
After serving as foreign minister and defense, Kono said he would work with countries that share democratic values ​​to fight China’s firmly increased in the regional sea.
He emphasized his achievements in accelerating the delayed vaccination of Japan, describing himself as a leader who completed something by tearing down bureaucratic barriers if necessary.
He was supported by other popular reformists and seen as a rival for supporters of former Prime Minister Arch-Conservative Shinzo Abe.