Japan PM Yoshihide Suga to step down after a year at the helm

Japan’s prime minister has announced he will not run to be re-elected as the leader of his party, marking the end of his tenure at the helm of the country.

Yoshihide Suga has been in the role for just a year, succeeding long-standing Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.

The announcement has been partly prompted by Suga’s approval rating plummeting amid the worst wave of Covid cases in Japan since the onset of the pandemic.

Japan’s vaccine rollout has been relatively slow compared to other rich nations, while the decision to still host the Olympic and Paralympic games was hugely unpopular among the public.

The secretary general of Suga’s Liberal Democratic Party said: “Suga said he wants to focus his efforts on anti-coronavirus measures and will not run in the leadership election.”

Suga succeeded Shinzo Abe last year – who is Japan’s longest serving prime minister – after he resigned following nearly eight years in the role.