Shigeru Ishiba has won the leadership election for Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and will become the country’s next prime minister.
The former defense minister, 67, succeeded on Friday in a close fight, defeating Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, 63, in a run-off after none of the nine candidates secured a majority in the first round of voting earlier in the day.
The final count was 215–194. “This is a remarkable victory for Ishiba, who is considered a veteran of the LDP,” reported Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride from Tokyo.
“This is his fifth attempt trying to get the LDP’s top job.” Takaichi would have been Japan’s first female prime minister if she had won the leadership election.
“She’s a fairly renowned, right-wing and hawkish figure, she would have made history not only in the LDP, but also Japan as [the country’s] first woman prime minister,” said McBride, reporting from outside parliament
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced his decision to resign in August amid a series of corruption scandals within the LDP, the largest party in parliament.
The party’s majority in the legislature means the winner of the leadership race is certain to be formally elected as the 65th prime minister by parliament on October 1.Ishiba is popular with the public but has failed four times to secure the LDP’s top job.