Japan likely to get new PM as Yoshihide Suga bows out of party vote
Tokyo(AP): Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga won't run for the leadership of the governing party, indicating he will step down as Japanese leader at the end of this month, a party official said Friday.
Suga told executives of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday that he will not run in the leadership race set for Sept 29, LDP Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai told reporters.
LDP has the majority in Parliament, meaning the new government leader likely will be whoever is elected the party's leader.
The move is largely a political decision so the LDP can have a fresh leader before national elections later this year. The lower house term ends in late October and elections for the new Parliament must be held by late November.
Suga has faced criticism and nosediving support ratings over slow coronavirus measures and holding the Olympics despite the public's health concerns.
Suga took office in mid-September a year ago after his predecessor Shinzo Abe resigned due to health problems.
Suga, the son of a strawberry farmer from Japan's northern prefecture of Akita, enjoyed support ratings as high as 70 per cent early in his tenure because he was a leader from the common people rather than blue-blood political families like Abe.
Suga introduced a series of pragmatic measures including digital transformation and administrative reforms, but his support ratings slid quickly over his virus measures seen as too slow and too small to prevent growing outbreaks. In the latest media surveys, support ratings have declined to around 26 per cent.
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Block on Mumbai-Pune Expressway on April 23, 24
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Mumbai (PTI): The traffic on Mumbai-Pune Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway will be temporarily diverted for a few hours on April 23 and 24 on account of bridge maintenance work.
In a release issued on Tuesday, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) said the block is planned from 12 am to 3 pm on April 23 and 24, for removal of shuttering and painting work on a bridge located near Dongargaon-Kusgaon.
Traffic towards Mumbai will remain completely closed in the section on April 23 during the three hours long block. Vehicles will be diverted via the Kiwale-Dehu Road-Talegaon route onto National Highway 48 and rejoin at Kusgaon toll plaza.
Similarly, traffic towards Pune will be shut on April 24 from 12 pm to 3 pm, and vehicles will be diverted from Kusgaon toll plaza via National Highway 48 through the Dehu Road-Kiwale route.
In case of any difficulty, commuters can contact the MSRDC control room on 9822498224 or the highway police helpline at 9833498334, the release said.
Mumbai-Pune Expressway is the first access controlled Expressway of India.
