Japan’s Digital Transformation Minister Kono Taro has announced that he will run in the leadership election of the main governing Liberal Democratic Party.
Kono made the announcement on Monday, 12 days after Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said he will not seek another term as LDP leader. The new LDP president is almost certain to become the next prime minister.
Kono told reporters that the Kishida Cabinet has made great achievements both in domestic politics and diplomacy since its inauguration about 1,000 days ago. He said he wants to succeed Kishida and move Japan forward.
He also said Japan needs to clarify its responsibility and roles and implement them.
He added that leadership contenders need to discuss how to reshape the international community, as the winner will be the next prime minister of Japan.
Kono, who is 61, is serving his ninth term as a Lower House lawmaker.
He is a member of LDP Vice President Aso Taro’s faction and now serves as digital transformation minister.
Since winning his first term in 1996, Kono has openly declared that becoming prime minister is his goal.
He made his first bid for the LDP leadership in 2009, when the party was in the opposition, at the age of 46.
After the party returned to power, Kono got his first Cabinet post in 2015 as minister in charge of administrative reforms under Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.
He also served as both foreign and defense minister. He visited 123 countries and regions during his roughly two-year stint as foreign minister.
In the Cabinet of Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide, Kono served as regulatory reform minister and was named minister in charge of the coronavirus vaccine rollout during the pandemic.
When he made his second bid for the top LDP post three years ago, Kono won broad support from rank-and-file party members and finished a close second, only a vote behind Kishida in the first round.
But he lost to Kishida by a wide margin in the runoff.