Yoshihide Suga, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe¡¯s faithful right-hand man who has served as top government spokesman for Abe¡¯s entire second tenure, declared his entry into a Liberal Democratic Party leadership contest Wednesday, brandishing stability and continuity as his chief qualifications to steer the country.
Mentioning Abe¡¯s resignation, Suga described the prime minister leaving in the middle of his term as ¡°regrettable,¡± adding that a political vacuum ¡°should not be tolerated during a national crisis.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve contemplated hard what I should be doing as a politician, and as someone who has supported the Abe administration, to overcome this crisis and bring back an everyday life that brings a sense of relief to all of the people as soon as possible,¡± the chief cabinet secretary said in a packed news conference Wednesday evening.
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