TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s parliament has been elected Shigeru Ishiba As the new prime minister on Tuesday, he is tasked with addressing public anger over his ruling party’s corruption scandals ahead of parliamentary elections later this month, while trying to boost the economy and deal with security challenges from China and North Korea.
Ishiba changes Fumio KishidaKishida stepped down early on Tuesday to make way for a new leader after his government was plagued by scandals.
Ishiba entered the prime minister’s office and formed his cabinet, which included several defense and security experts, who called for a stronger regional military alliance and a more equal Japan-US defense partnership.
Ishiba will hold a press conference later Tuesday to announce his cabinet and some of his policy priorities.
Ishiba said he plans to call parliamentary elections for Oct. 27 so his new administration can get a “people’s verdict” as soon as possible.
Ishiba appointed two former defense ministers to his cabinet with whom he worked closely – Takeshi Iwaya as foreign minister and General Nakatani as defense chief – underscoring his emphasis on security and defense policies.
Only two of the 19 ministers are women: actor-turned-legislator Junko Mihara as Minister of Children’s Policy and Toshiko Abe as Minister of Education. There is pressure to increase the number of women in government offices. Women now make up just 10% of the world’s gender equality rankings, putting Japan at the bottom.
Ishiba appointed many of the ministers who had voted for him in the party leadership referendum and retained Kishida’s top confidante, Yoshimasa Hayashi, as chief cabinet secretary. He also appointed Katsunobu Kato as Minister of Finance. Hayashi also previously served as Defense Minister.
Most of his cabinet members, including Ishiba, are unaffiliated with factions led and controlled by party heavyweights, and none are linked to damaging scandals from former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s powerful group.
Lawmakers await the start of an extraordinary session in the lower house of parliament, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Ishiba’s lack of a stable power base means his government is fragile and could “collapse soon,” the liberal-leaning Asahi newspaper said, although Ishiba hopes to build party unity as it prepares for upcoming elections.
The move is also seen as revenge for Ishiba, who was largely sidelined for much of Abe’s rule.
Ishiba announced his party leaders on Monday ahead of naming his cabinet. Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who finished third in the party’s leadership race, will head the party’s election working group.
“I will face the people and discuss policies honestly to get their understanding. My government will not shy away from challenges and get things done,” Ishiba said ahead of the parliamentary vote.
Opposition leaders criticized Ishiba for announcing such a plan before becoming president, allowing only days for his policies to be scrutinized and debated in parliament ahead of national elections. Parliament on Tuesday adopted a plan to hold sessions until October 9, with Ishiba expected to dissolve the lower house before October 27.
Opposition protests delayed the start of parliamentary voting by about half an hour, marking a rocky start for Ishiba.
Kishida had announced in August that he would step down at the end of his three-year term to make way for a new leader ahead of the next national election as corruption scandals rocked his party and government.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kishida and his ministers attended a cabinet meeting. Kishida left his office after a brief send-off ceremony in which he was presented with a bouquet of red roses and applauded by his staff and former cabinet members.
“As we face a critical moment at home and abroad, I look forward to the new cabinet vigorously pursuing the key policies that will pave the way for Japan’s future,” Kishida said in a statement.
Ishiba has proposed an Asian version of the NATO military alliance, and further discussion among regional partners about the use of the US nuclear deterrent. He also proposed an equitable Japan-US defense alliance, including joint management of US bases in Japan and having Japanese self-defense forces bases in the US.
Ishiba outlined his views in an article for Hudson last week.
Ishiba proposes to merge existing security and diplomatic groups such as the Quad and other bilateral and multilateral structures that include the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and the Philippines.
He noted that the Asian version of NATO could also consider sharing control of US nuclear weapons in the region as a deterrent against growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia.
He pledged to continue Kishida’s economic policy, which aimed to lift Japan out of deflation and achieve higher real wages, while tackling challenges such as Japan’s declining birthrate and population and its ability to withstand natural disasters.
The LDP has had an almost unbroken term of office ruling Japan since World War II. Party members may see Ishiba’s centrist views as key to fending off challenges from the liberal-leaning opposition and winning voter support as the party reels from corruption scandals that dented Kishida’s popularity.
First elected to parliament in 1986, Ishiba has served as defense minister, agriculture minister and other key cabinet posts, and was LDP secretary-general under Abe.
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