Shigeru Ishiba, the leader of Japan’s ruling party, intends to announce a parliamentary election for October 27 following his appointment as prime minister on Tuesday.
On Friday, he was elected as the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party. He is guaranteed to succeed Fumio Kishida as prime minister due to the party’s coalition’s control of parliament.
On Monday, Ishiba announced his party’s leadership lineup and revealed the election date in anticipation of forming his Cabinet. Although the plan is not yet official as Ishiba has not assumed the role of prime minister, he emphasised that disclosing the date early was meant to aid logistical preparations for those needing to organise on short notice.
He assigned Shinjiro Koizumi, the former Environment Minister who secured third place in the party leadership contest, to lead the party’s election campaign team.
“I believe it is important to have the new administration get the public’s judgment as soon as possible,” he stated.
Ishiba is anticipated to appoint defence experts and his trusted allies, Takeshi Iwaya as Foreign Minister and Gen Nakatani as Defense Chief, upon assuming office.
Furthermore, he has advocated for an Asian equivalent of NATO and enhanced dialogue among regional partners regarding utilising the U.S. nuclear deterrent. He has also proposed a more balanced 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.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has maintained nearly continuous governance of Japan since World War II. Party members may view Ishiba’s centrist stance as vital for countering challenges from the liberal-leaning opposition and regaining voter confidence amid corruption scandals that have eroded Kishida’s popularity.
Frances Ibiefo
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