Shigeru Ishiba Remains Top Favorite for Next LDP Leader: Jiji Poll

   Tokyo, Aug. 8 (Jiji Press)--Shigeru Ishiba, former secretary-general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, remains the top favorite to become the LDP's next leader, a Jiji Press opinion poll showed Thursday.
   In the August poll, Ishiba was backed by 18.7 pct of respondents, followed by former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi with 12.5 pct, economic security minister Sanae Takaichi with 6.5 pct, digital transformation minister Taro Kono with 5.2 pct, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, both with 4.7 pct.
   Ishiba and Koizumi ranked first and second, respectively, as in the July poll, while Takaichi moved up from fifth place.
   Among other names floated as possible successors to Kishida, LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi and former internal affairs minister Seiko Noda were cited by 1.0 pct each, while former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi by 0.3 pct.
   Of respondents who support the LDP, 16.8 pct supported Ishiba, and 11.8 pct each backed Koizumi and Takaichi. Kishida came in fourth, with 11.3 pct.

(2024/08/08-18:37)