Japan’s former Defence Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, is poised to become the country’s next Prime Minister after winning the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) presidential runoff on Friday. The 67-year-old defeated Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, securing 215 votes to her 194. The official parliamentary appointment will take place on Tuesday.
Ishiba will replace outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who resigned following a slush fund scandal that damaged the ruling party’s image. This victory marks Ishiba’s fifth attempt to lead the LDP. Over the years, he has built a reputation as a skilled policy expert with significant experience in defence, agriculture, and regional revitalization.
After his victory in the highly-competitive race, which featured a record nine contenders, Ishiba urged unity within the party while addressing supporters at the LDP headquarters. “I will dedicate myself to making Japan a safer country,” he vowed.
However, Ishiba faces immediate challenges. Restoring public trust in the LDP is a top priority following the recent scandal. Additionally, he must guide Japan’s economy through rising inflation and global uncertainties. The new Prime Minister will also need to address increasing security concerns from China, North Korea, and Russia.
Attention now shifts to the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the possibility of a general election before the year’s end. The LDP leadership race was triggered when no candidate secured a majority of the 735 votes in the initial round. Other key contenders included the youngest candidate, Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, and Takaichi, who was vying to become Japan’s first female Prime Minister.
Ishiba’s victory comes just days after the opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, elected former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda as its new leader.
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