Japan Ruling LDP Elects Ishiba
Japan Ruling LDP Elects Ishiba
Kanako Mita and Chika Mori
Modern Tokyo Times
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected Shigeru Ishiba to lead the party. Accordingly, the former Defence Minister will become the new prime minister of Japan next week.
He beat the right-wing Sanae Takaichi in the final runoff by 215 to 194 votes. Hence, Japan will continue to wait for its first female prime minister.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stepped down after constant negative approval ratings – and the lack of trust in him concerning the political funding scandal.
The BBC reports, “The LDP leadership contest is not just a race for the top job, but also an attempt to regain public trust that the party has hemorrhaged over the past few months amid a stagnant economy, struggling households and a series of political scandals.”
Ishiba gained (all previous attempts to lead the LDP failed) from the demise in power of the factions that dominate the “ruling chair” of the LDP. Accordingly, it was unclear to the last who would become elected.
Kyodo News reports, “Ishiba’s leadership skills will be put to the test as economic growth remains shaky against a backdrop of rising costs affecting households, while provocative actions by China, North Korea, and Russia continue to pose security threats to Japan.”
Ishiba said: “I believe in the people and will speak the truth with courage and sincerity. I will do my best to make Japan a safe and secure country again, a place where everyone can live with a smile.”
Ishiba also said, “My life’s work is security, disaster prevention, and the revitalization of rural regions.”
Lee Jay Walker (Modern Tokyo Times analyst) says, “Ishiba touted an Asian version of NATO. However, this seems unlikely given the enormous differences in Northeast Asia to the Mekong Delta region.”
AFP reports, “In the run-up to Friday’s vote, Ishiba pledged to boost the economy by encouraging domestic investment in the chip and AI sectors among other policies, such as using nuclear power alongside renewables to fuel the resource-poor country.”
Ishiba hinted at increasing taxes to fund the armed forces (the target is 2% of GDP – similar to NATO). He said, “…there is room for raising the corporate tax.”
Reuters reports, “Ishiba, who has also served as agriculture minister, promised to move some ministries and government agencies out of Tokyo to help revive Japan’s moribund regions. He has also proposed establishing an agency to oversee the construction of emergency shelters across disaster-prone Japan.”
The LDP dominates the political scene in Japan.
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