The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected a new party leader, after current leader Fumio Kishida announced in August that he would not run for re-election. Now it is clear that Shigeru Ishiba will be Japan’s new prime minister. The LDP is Japan’s ruling party and Kishida is the incumbent prime minister, meaning the party’s new leader will take over the prime ministership. Kishida has been prime minister for three years, and over that period has become less popular, partly as a result of inflation in the country. – I felt that my resignation was necessary to restore people’s confidence in the LDP. I have made this decision based on what I believe is best for the people, Kishida said when announcing his election. The liberals against the conservatives In total there were nine candidates who stood for election. The election took place over two rounds, with two of the nine candidates advancing after the first round. The winner of the second round will become the new party leader and will be sworn in as prime minister on Tuesday. Of the nine candidates, three were singled out as favorites in advance. After the first round, it became clear that Japan would not get its youngest ever prime minister, as one of the favourites, Shinjirō Koizumi, went out in the first round. The second round ended with two candidates who represent very different directions within the party. 1. Sanae Takaichi (63) Sanae Takaich has extensive political experience. She was one of the candidates in the previous leadership election, but finished in third place. Photo: AP Takaichi has many years of experience in Japanese politics, and has held a wide range of ministerial positions since 2006, most recently with responsibility for the economy. She belongs to the deeply conservative part of the LDP, and sees Margaret Thatcher as a role model. If Takaichi wins, she will become Japan’s first female prime minister, but has avoided making a point of being a woman. 2. Shigeru Ishiba (67) Shigeru Ishiba is more center-oriented than his more conservative counterpart. Photo: Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters Ishiba is seen as more liberal and free-thinking, not unlike the youngest candidate Shinjirō Koizumi. He has good support among the people, but is less popular in his own party. His popularity among voters will be a good card to have next year, when there are government elections. He is also willing to rethink several issues that concern young people. Dissatisfaction among the people Whoever takes over the position of Prime Minister has a challenging task ahead of them. Increased prices and cost of living have led to dissatisfaction among the people. In addition, there is increased unrest and tension in the face of a North Korea that continues to develop nuclear weapons, while China is arming itself. Nevertheless, there are other issues that have largely characterized the election campaign. There are several value issues that pit the conservative forces against the liberals in the party, including: Allowing same-sex marriage Allowing married couples to have different names Quota for women in parliament Nuclear power Unsurprisingly, conservative Sanae Takaichi opposes same-sex marriage, that women can keep her own family name after they are married, and she also does not want a quota for women in parliament. On the other hand, she is positive about nuclear power, and wants to invest more in the industry. Nuclear power is a topic that divides Japan’s citizens, especially after the Fukushima accident. Shigeru Ishiba is more open to change on all these issues. Both agree that Japan’s defense capability must be strengthened. Published 27/09/2024, at 07.30 Updated 27.09.2024, at 08.38
ttn-69
Shigeru Ishiba becomes Japan’s prime minister – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
