Ishiba elected Japanese PM, unveils cabinet lineup

TOKYO -- Shigeru Ishiba, leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was officially elected the country's prime minister on Tuesday after winning a majority of votes in both houses of parliament.

The Japanese Diet convened an extraordinary session in the afternoon to choose the new prime minister. As the ruling coalition led by the LDP controls both chambers, 67-year-old Ishiba received 291 of 461 votes in the House of Representatives and 143 of 242 votes in the House of Councillors.

After the special Diet session, the 67-year-old veteran politician unveiled his cabinet lineup consisting of 13 first-time appointees, two reappointments and four returning ministers with previous cabinet experience.

He will later be formally inaugurated in a ceremony at the Imperial Palace and hold a press conference in the evening to lay out his policy priorities.

In the new cabinet, former Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya became minister of foreign affairs, while former Defense Minister Gen Nakatani once again returned to the post.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, the top government spokesman under Kishida, will retain the post of chief cabinet secretary.

Katsunobu Kato, one of Ishiba's competitors in the LDP race, will take the position of finance minister, while Yoji Muto will serve as minister for economy, trade, and industry.

Only two women were appointed to the cabinet: Toshiko Abe as minister of education, culture, sports, science, and technology, and Junko Mihara as minister for children's policies, reducing the number of female ministers by three compared with the Kishida cabinet.

As Ishiba sets to succeed Fumio Kishida who resigned on Tuesday morning, he will face daunting challenges to lead a country with a complex array of pressing issues.

First and foremost on Ishiba's task list is to restore public trust in the LDP, whose image has been heavily tarnished by the political funds scandal involving unreported income and misuse of political funds, which led to the indictment of several lawmakers.

At a press conference last week, Ishiba vowed to give his "full effort" to rebuild trust and unity within the LDP, calling for a party that is humble, fair, and transparent, where rules are followed, and the public can hold leaders accountable.

On the economic front, Ishiba's economic agenda promises continuity with those of Kishida but aims to make these policies more effective.

In recent years, sluggish economic growth, wage stagnation, rising prices and the yen's sharp depreciation have created woes for the Japanese public, and how Ishiba will differentiate his policies to tackle these economic challenges will be a key focus to watch.

On foreign policy and national security, Ishiba, considered a defense policy expert, has put forward conservative proposals, including the establishment of an "Asian version of the NATO military alliance" and revisions to war-renouncing Article 9 of the pacifist constitution. He has declined to say whether he would visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine as prime minister.

Regarding Japan-US relations, Ishiba has envisioned a more equal and mutual Japan-US security alliance, including having Japanese Self-Defense Force bases in the United States, a rare proposal within the conservative LDP.

Ishiba has decided to dissolve the lower house of the parliament on Oct 9 and call a general election on Oct 27, emphasizing the importance of obtaining the public's mandate as soon as possible.