Tokyo: Japan has now got a new Prime Minister in the form of Shigerup Ishiba. Japan's ruling party has elected Shigeru Ishiba as its leader today. Now he will take charge next week. Let us tell you that Ishiba was technically elected as the new leader of the party through voting in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Now it is certain that he will be elected as Prime Minister in the proposed voting in Parliament next week, as the party's ruling coalition has a majority in both the houses. Nine candidates, including two women, were in the fray in this party election.
Ishiba was elected through voting by the party's MPs and grassroots members. Current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been dogged by corruption allegations and his party is searching for a new leader in hopes of regaining public confidence before the next general election. Apart from LDP members of Parliament, only about 10 lakh dues paying party members could take part in the voting. This number is only one percent of the total eligible voters of the country. In view of the ongoing internal talks and possibilities of compromise among the party stalwarts, it was difficult to predict who would have the upper hand in this election. According to early estimates from NHK television, Shigeru Ishiba, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi were the frontrunners. Ishiba was also reported to be leading in media surveys.
Takaichi Chuke, close to former PM Shinzo Abe
Takaichi has been close to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and is counted among the staunch conservative leaders. He contested against Kishida in 2021. Koizumi is the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. In previous polls the leader was often determined by leaders of the party's powerful faction, but this time all but one of the six factions have announced mergers following corruption allegations. There is widespread concern among experts that whoever wins the election, but does not get factional support, is likely to return to the 2000s in Japan. During this period, there were changes in leadership several times and political instability was seen in the country. Japanese prime ministers who head short-term governments harm the ability to set long-term policy goals or develop trusting relationships with other leaders. Takaichi and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa were the only two women in the race.
Japan's PM Kishida will resign
The number of women in the lower house of Japan's parliament is only 10.3 percent. According to a report released in April by the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union, Japan ranked 163rd out of 190 countries in terms of women's representation. Kishida and his cabinet ministers will resign on Tuesday. Despite the LDP's scandals, the main opposition, the liberal-leaning Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, is struggling to consolidate its position. But experts say its newly elected leader Yoshihiko Noda is pushing for a conservative turn for the party and could shape a broader political realignment. Noda is the former Prime Minister of Japan and is counted among the centrist leaders. (AP)
Who is Shigeru Ishiba?
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