JAPAN’S minister in charge of vaccines, Taro Kono, led a public opinion poll on who should succeed Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Kono had 27 percent support in the poll by the Nikkei newspaper and TV Tokyo that asked who would be “the right person” to lead the party and become the next prime minister.

The results of the Sept. 9-11 poll were released Saturday.

Former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba was next with 17 percent, and ex-policy chief Fumio Kishida was third with 14 percent. Former Interior Minister Sanae Takaichi was fifth with 7 percent.

Kono, who also serves as minister of administrative reform, announced his candidacy Friday, the third to make his intention official after Kishida and Takaichi.

Ishiba may not run for the party’s leadership and instead will likely support another candidate, the Jiji news service said Saturday, citing sources close to him.

(SD-Agencies)