Yoshihide Suga Elected Japan's New Prime Minister After Shinzo Abe Retires Due To Health Reasons

Days after Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his retirement, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Yoshihide Suga has been elected to head the government following a parliamentary vote on Wednesday (16 September), reports Hindustan Times.

Suga will be succeed Abe who has been Japan's longest serving prime minister with his over eight-year-long tenure. Abe announced his wish to step down from the post on 28 August, citing health reasons.

Suga has been chosen as Japan’s 99th Premier in the Diet.

Earlier on Monday, Suga was elected the leader of the LDP after he won a commanding victory in during party's internal voting.

He’s well known to Japanese as Abe's right hand man and the voice of their longest-serving government, acting as Abe’s Chief Cabinet Secretary for more than seven years.

Later in the day, Suga will announce the members of his new cabinet before being formally inaugurated at a ceremony at the Imperial Palace.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate the newly elected head of the Japanese government.

"Heartiest congratulations to Excellency Yoshihide Suga on the appointment as Prime Minister of Japan @kantei. I look forward to jointly taking our Special Strategic and Global Partnership to new heights. @sugawitter," PM Modi wrote.

At the age of 71, Suga will be the oldest Prime Minister to take office since Kiichi Miyazawa in 1991. His premiership will last through the remainder of Abe’s term as LDP leader until September 2021, Xinhua news agency reported.

In the run-up to his inauguration, Suga said he would continue to promote Abe’s policies, including his “Abenomics” of aggressive monetary easing, fiscal stimulus and structural reforms, to breathe life back into the recession-hit Japanese economy.

Suga will also continue the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, utilising the 230 trillion yen (2.2 trillion US dollar) package allocated for tackling the disease.

(With inputs from IANS)