Japan's vaccines minister Kono favoured as next PM in opinion polls

FILE PHOTO: Taro Kono, Japan's vaccination programme chief and ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker, attends a news conference as he announces his candidacy for the party's presidential election in Tokyo, Japan, September 10, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's minister in charge of vaccines, Taro Kono, has emerged as the favoured candidate in weekend opinion polls on whom should succeed Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

The winner of the LDP leadership election set for Sept. 29 is all but assured to be prime minister.