TOKYO -- Taro Kono, Japan's regulatory reform minister and also minister in charge of vaccinations, ranked first in a Nikkei poll as "a person suited to be the next president of the Liberal Democratic Party." The answer was chosen by about 16% of respondents in an opinion poll conducted from Aug. 27 to 29 by Nikkei.
Shigeru Ishiba, former secretary-general of the ruling party, almost tied for first place, with just a fraction of a percentage point below Kono. Fumio Kishida, the former chairman of the LDP's Policy Research Council, who has announced his candidacy, placed third at 13%, while Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga came in fourth at 11%.
