TOKYO, (TDI): Japan’s parliament has elected Shigeru Ishiba, leader of the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), as the country’s new prime minister on Tuesday.
Ishiba was chosen as the party’s leader on Friday to succeed Fumio Kishida, who stepped down today to facilitate the transition. Ishiba is set to announce his new Cabinet later today.
Kishida, who took office in 2021, resigned amid ongoing scandals that plagued his administration, allowing for a fresh leadership change.
Ishiba plans to call a parliamentary election for October 27, stating, “I believe it is important to have the new administration get the public’s judgment as soon as possible.”
Opposition parties criticized Ishiba for allowing only a brief period for his policies to be examined and discussed in parliament before the national election.
Kishida had previously announced his intention to resign at the end of his three-year term.
During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, Kishida and his ministers stepped down, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi confirming the change.
Kishida received a bouquet of red roses in a brief farewell ceremony, during which he was applauded by staff and former Cabinet members.
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“As we face a critical moment both domestically and internationally, I earnestly hope that key policies will be vigorously pursued by the new Cabinet,” Kishida said.
Emphasizing the need to strengthen security amid global tensions, such as Russia’s war in Ukraine, he added, while addressing Japan’s declining birthrate and population, as well as necessary economic and political reforms.
Ishiba has already announced some of his party’s leadership positions ahead of naming his Cabinet. Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who finished third in the party leadership race, will head the party’s election task force.
Ishiba is expected to appoint defense experts Takeshi Iwaya as foreign minister and Gen Nakatani as defense chief.
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Most of Ishiba’s Cabinet ministers are anticipated to be unaffiliated with factions led by influential party figures and will not include members from former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s powerful group, which has been linked to various scandals.
However, Ishiba’s lack of a stable power base may lead to potential fragility within his government, as noted by the liberal-leaning Asahi newspaper.
This leadership change is also viewed as a form of revenge for Ishiba, who was sidelined during much of Abe’s tenure.
He has proposed an Asian version of the NATO military alliance and is advocating for more dialogue among regional partners regarding the use of U.S. nuclear deterrence.
Additionally, he has suggested a more equitable Japan-U.S. security alliance, including joint management of U.S. bases in Japan and the establishment of Japanese Self Defense Force bases in the United States.
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