Ishiba Confirmed as Japan’s Prime Minister: LDP Majority Secures Vote
Shigeru Ishiba has officially become Japan’s new Prime Minister, confirmed by parliament on Tuesday with the LDP using its majority to secure the vote, Al Jazeera reports.
The former defense minister, who narrowly won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership election last week, now faces the challenge of navigating a series of political scandals and a snap general election he has called for October 27.
Ishiba immediately unveiled his cabinet, which comprises 19 ministers, including former Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato as finance minister, Gen Nakatani as defense minister, and Takeshi Iwaya as foreign minister.
Ishiba’s first major act for a snap general election has drawn criticism from opposition parties, who argue it leaves insufficient time for policy discussions.
The outgoing Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, resigned after his government faced a series of scandals. Ishiba, who has held several ministerial posts in the past, is hoping to solidify his leadership with a fresh mandate from the electorate.
Despite the criticism, Ishiba is expected to dissolve parliament on October 9 to begin the election campaign. The LDP has governed Japan for much of the post-World War II era, and the upcoming election will be a critical test for Ishiba’s ability to maintain the party’s grip on power.
One notable development is the reduced number of women in the new cabinet. Only two women, Junko Mihara and Toshiko Abe, have been appointed, compared to five in the outgoing cabinet.
