Shigeru Ishiba, a veteran moderate, is set to take over as Japan’s prime minister next week after he was elected as leader of the governing Liberal Democratic party (LDP).
Ishiba, 67, is a former defence minister who beat his rightwing rival Sanae Takaichi by 215 votes to 194 in a run-off election at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on Friday.
This follows an announcement by outgoing prime minister Fumio Kishida who said he would not seek a re-election after being mired in damaging fundraising scandals and low approval ratings. Meanwhile, Ishiba took the opportunity to call for a fairer and kinder Japan.
Once he takes office, Ishiba will have to address a host of problems plaguing Japan currently including rising costs of living, economic concerns along with geopolitical issues involving an assertive China and a nuclear-armed North Korea.
Political pundits are speculating if Ishiba’s victory is a blow to the political legacy of assassinated former leader Shinzo Abe with whom Ishiba often locked horns.
