BBC – Japan’s ruling party has elected Shigeru Ishiba as its new leader, positioning the former defence chief as Japan’s next leader.
Nine candidates contested for leadership of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has ruled Japan for most of the post-war era, after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced last month that he would not stand for re-election.
Since the LDP has a parliamentary majority, its party chief will become prime minister and Ishiba is expected to be appointed to the role next week.
The change of guard comes at a turbulent time for the long-ruling party, which has been rocked by scandals and internal conflicts that disbanded its once-powerful factions.
Ishiba, 67, led in most opinion polls, with this being his fifth and, he said, final bid to lead the embattled LDP.
The winner was decided by an internal party vote, rather than a public one. The race started with nine candidates before heading into a runoff between Ishiba and Sanae Takaichi, 63, who vied to become Japan’s first female leader.
Ishiba is in favour of allowing female emperors – a hugely controversial issue opposed by many LDP member and successive governments. His blunt candour and public criticism of Prime Minister Kishida – a rarity in Japanese politics – has rankled fellow party members while resonating with members of the public.
He is well-versed on the machinations of party politics as well as security policies. He offers a safe pair of hands and stability at a moment of flux within the party.
What he doesn’t offer is a fresh face for a party desperate to reinvent itself and regain public trust that it has lost over the past few months amid a stagnant economy, struggling households and a series of political scandals. His economic strategy includes boosting wages to counter rising prices.
Takaichi, on the other hand, was one of two women vying for the LDP leadership, but was also among the more conservative of the candidates.
A close ally to late former prime minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi’s positions on women’s issues are in line with the LDP’s policy of having women serve in their traditional roles of being good mothers and wives. She opposes legislation allowing women to retain their maiden name as well as allowing female emperors.
