Unless former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe runs for election, Japan is likely to slip back into a period of revolving-door prime ministers, though a solid factional support base could stabilize LDP policy. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced on Sept. 3 he was pulling out of leadership elections for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which are set for Sept. 29 and will determine who is Japan’s next prime minister. He has instead pledged to focus on managing Japan’s COVID-19 response. Suga will stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new prime minister is seated and plans to hold a press conference next week to explain his resignation. Suga also noted he would not follow through with a shakeup of his executive leadership, a move originally intended to inject new vigor into his LDP leadership candidacy....
