Tokyo, Japan (DT/KN) â Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to become Japan’s next prime minister after winning the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election on Friday in a runoff vote, defeating economic security minister Sanae Takaichi.
In his fifth presidential bid, Ishiba, who also served as the party’s secretary general, won 215 of the 409 valid votes cast by LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file members, while Takaichi secured 194, in a closely competitive race with a record nine contenders.
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Ishiba, a 67-year-old policy expert well-versed in defense, agriculture and regional revitalization, is set to be named prime minister in parliament next Tuesday, replacing Fumio Kishida. The new leader will then form a Cabinet.
Both ruling and opposition lawmakers are bracing for the possibility of a general election before the end of this year, although Ishiba has not hinted at the exact timing.
Emerging victorious, Ishiba urged LDP members to unite after the presidential election, noting that the party, hit by a political funds scandal, faces strong headwinds.
“I will select people who can appropriately exercise their responsibility within our party, the Cabinet and in parliament to navigate this severe situation,” Ishiba said at a press conference after the leadership election.
Asked when he intends to dissolve the House of Representatives for a snap election, Ishiba said he is aware of the need to seek a public mandate “as soon as possible,” while stressing the importance of debating with opposition parties in parliament.
Later in the day, however, Ishiba said in a TV program that it is “difficult to imagine” that the dissolution of the lower house would “happen beyond this year.”
The LDP’s junior coalition partner Komeito party will get a new leader on Saturday and the country’s main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan elected former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda as its chief earlier this week.
Noda, who led Japan for more than a year from 2011 when the CDPJ’s predecessor was in power, voiced hope for substantive debates with Ishiba, describing him as someone who will not “shy away.”
In Friday’s election, none of the candidates secured an outright majority of the 735 valid votes cast by LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file members in the first round.
Takaichi came out on top with 181 votes, followed by 154 for Ishiba. Shinjiro Koizumi, 43, the youngest candidate whose father was a popular reform-minded prime minister, ranked third with 136 votes.
Party renewal is seen as a priority as a slush funds scandal at intraparty factions damaged public confidence in the LDP.
Ishiba’s leadership skills will be put to the test as economic growth remains shaky against a backdrop of rising costs affecting households, while provocative actions by China, North Korea and Russia continue to pose security threats to Japan.
After Ishiba was elected, China called on Japan to adopt a “positive and rational” policy stance, while South Korea expressed hope to maintain close communication and continue improving ties with Tokyo, building on the momentum established under Kishida.
Ishiba envisions the creation of an Asian version of the NATO collective security framework in the region, where tensions remain high between China and Taiwan, drawing a parallel to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While he emphasizes the need for the Japan-U.S. bilateral alliance to be solid, he has also said that as premier, he would seek to review the agreement defining the status of U.S. forces stationed in Japan.
He wants to revise the war-renouncing Constitution to specifically mention the country’s Self-Defense Forces, which aligns with the LDP’s long-held goal of ending the domestic debate over the constitutionality of the armed organization.
Uncertainty remains over how he will steer the economy, with news of his victory sending the Japanese yen sharply higher against the dollar. He has floated the idea of imposing a higher tax on financial income.
He has taken a positive stance on allowing married couples to use different surnames, a contentious issue that has met resistance from conservative members like Takaichi, who value traditional family structures.
Backed by conservatives aligned with the late premier Shinzo Abe, known for his hawkish views, Takaichi, 63, aspired to become Japan’s first-ever female prime minister in her second bid.
The other contenders were former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, 49, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, 63, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, 71, former health minister Katsunobu Kato, 68, Digital Minister Taro Kono, 61, and LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi, 68.
During the 15-day campaign, the longest on record, the nine candidates ramped up calls for party renewal and presented their visions for Japan, a rapidly aging nation with low growth potential and a key U.S. ally in Asia.
The wide field of candidates emerged as most of the party’s factions disbanded. The groups had previously demanded unity among members and influenced their voting behavior.
Some candidates, including Ishiba, approached heavyweights like former Prime Minister Taro Aso, who leads the only faction that has decided not to disband, in apparent last-minute bids to secure behind-the-scenes support.
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