Tokyo: Japan is set to get its first woman prime minister in Sanae Takaichi who was elected leader of the country’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Saturday. Takaichi, who was earlier Japan’s economic security minister, is slated to take over as prime minister on October 15.
Takaichi received 185 votes, while agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi garnered 156 in a runoff after none of the five candidates in the party leadership race secured a majority in the initial round of voting, The Japan Times reported.
“In the first round of the election, Takaichi secured the lead with a total of 183 votes, which included 64 from party lawmakers and 119 from rank-and-file members. Koizumi followed closely behind with 164 votes, comprised of 80 from party lawmakers and 84 from rank-and-file members,” it was reported by the newspaper.
Five candidates competed to become the LDP chief and virtually the country’s next prime minister. Takaichi’s contenders were former LDP secretary-general Toshimitsu Motegi, chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, Koizumi, and Takayuki Kobayashi. All five also contested last year’s election, which saw a record nine candidates.
The first round of the election, triggered by LDP president Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation last month, consisted of 590 votes, 295 from LDP lawmakers and 295 allocated proportionally to rank-and-file party members and registered supporters.
The contest focused on issues such as cooperation with opposition parties, economic measures to tackle rising prices, and rebuilding the party after successive election defeats and political funding scandals.
Japan has been witnessing years of sluggish growth, rising prices and a sharp depreciation of the yen. These have weighed heavily on the public, and the LDP’s twin defeats have left its leadership under closer scrutiny. As the ruling bloc loses its historical dominance, the task ahead is unenviable: holding together a divided party, managing minority rule, and convincing a sceptical electorate that the LDP is still capable of providing stable governance.