BriefingAsia-Pacific

Japan’s LDP Surprises with Choice of Fukuda to Succeed Abe

Japan’s LDP Surprises with Choice of Fukuda to Succeed Abe

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may have surprised many within his own Liberal Democratic Party with his decision to resign, but the party showed it was capable of pulling off a surprise of its own by choosing veteran lawmaker Yasuo Fukuda as its new leader.

Most observers had expected former Foreign Minister Taro Aso to succeed Abe, including the financial markets, which actually saw a jump in the stock prices of manga-related firms in expectation that manga fan Aso was set to take over.

But Aso's closeness to Abe, and his determination to stand by the embattled prime minister even after his party's crushing defeat in July's upper house election, was enough to give LDP faction leaders pause.

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