Yokohama ¨C Former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Saturday announced his decision not to run in the next Lower House election.
¡°I¡¯ve been considering the timing of retiring as a lawmaker since I turned 70,¡± Suga told reporters in Yokohama. ¡°I will now give way to the next generation.¡±
Suga was first elected to the Lower House in 1996 and is currently serving his 10th term. As a member of the second Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Suga served a record seven years and eight months as chief cabinet secretary from 2012 to 2020.
In September 2020, Suga succeeded Abe as prime minister. During his one-year tenure, Suga focused on tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
¡°I promised the people 1 million vaccinations a day, which led to the end of the pandemic,¡± he said.
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