Regarding the Aug. 25 front-page article "On sex slaves, Hashimoto on same page as Abe": It is very hard to believe that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seriously thinks of himself as a viable contender for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency who should be given another chance to lead the country.

In my opinion, he was an unmitigated disaster as a politician who managed only one remarkable feat — appointing Cabinet ministers who were more clueless than himself.

Quite rightly, Abe seemed to slink away into obscurity after his resignation. In the five years or so since, he does not appear to have taken on a worthwhile role in Japanese political life. I can only presume that this is because he's only interested in party leadership positions when his party has a chance to run the country.

LDP members voting for their next leader should bear in mind that if the LDP wins the next general election, Abe will have done nothing to contribute to that victory.

The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.

simon foston