Shigeru Ishiba is the new Prime Minister of Japan
September 27, 20242 Mins Read

International Desk: Former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba is going to take over as the country's next Prime Minister. He was declared the winner on Friday (September 27) after a fiercely contested battle. Reuters news.

It was Ishiba's fifth and, in his own words, 'last' attempt to take over the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The 67-year-old veteran politician was elected LDP leader after defeating hardline nationalist leader Sanae Takaichi.

In a message to LDP lawmakers after winning the polls, Ishiba said, 'We have to trust the people. Be on the path of truth with courage and sense of responsibility. We will work together to make Japan safe so that we can all live with smiles again.'

The LDP has ruled Japan for nearly seven decades since World War II. With their majority in parliament, the party leader is almost certain to be the next prime minister. Ishiba will succeed the country's current Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida.

Kishida and his cabinet will resign next Monday. Ishiba will be handed over his duties at a special session on Tuesday.

Last August, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that he would not contest the next LDP leadership election. In September 2021, Fumio Kishida was elected president of the LDP for the next three years. He then won the national election and became the Prime Minister of Japan in October of the same year.

Fumio Kishida's popularity declined as news of a major financial scandal within the LDP emerged. Fumio Kishida became the head of the LDP after Yoshihide Suga resigned amid strong criticism over his failure to handle the coronavirus pandemic. Before that, he served as the country's foreign minister.

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