Kochi Gov. Daijiro Hashimoto has poured cold water on his brother Ryutaro's candidacy in the race to choose the successor to Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, saying he thinks his brother should not serve as the nation's leader twice.
"In my personal opinion, I do not want my brother to make a comeback as the prime minister," Hashimoto told a news conference Tuesday. "However, should he be elected, I would support him."
His half brother, Ryutaro, 63, currently serving as minister in charge of administration reform, is a contender in Tuesday's presidential election of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
The winner of the race is expected to become the prime minister due to the LDP-led coalition's majority in the powerful House of Representatives.