Ex-defense chief Ishiba elected Japan ruling party leader

TOKYO — Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to become Japan's next prime minister after winning the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election on Friday in a runoff vote, defeating economic security minister Sanae Takaichi.

In his fifth presidential bid, Ishiba won 215 of the 409 valid votes cast by LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file members, while Takaichi secured 194. He is a policy expert well-versed in defense, agriculture and regional revitalization.

Ishiba, 67, will be named prime minister in parliament next Tuesday, replacing Fumio Kishida. Attention will then shift to when he will call a general election by dissolving the powerful House of Representatives.

Emerging victorious at the party headquarters, where the voting took place, Ishiba called on LDP members to unite after the presidential election that saw a record nine contenders. He said he will devote himself to making Japan a "safer" country.

He faces the challenge of revamping a party stung by a slush funds scandal and restoring voter trust ahead of a possible national election, which might be held by the end of the year.

Ishiba's leadership skills will be put to the test as economic growth remains shaky against a backdrop of rising costs affecting households, while provocative actions by China, North Korea and Russia continue to pose security threats to Japan.

The runoff vote was held after none of the candidates secured a majority of the 735 valid votes cast by LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file members in the first round. Shinjiro Koizumi, the youngest candidate at 43, failed in his first attempt.

The vote came days after the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan elected former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda as its leader on Monday. Noda led Japan for around one year, starting in 2011, under the predecessor party of the CDPJ.

Ishiba, a lower house lawmaker, gained popularity among supporters in regional areas.

He envisions the creation of an Asian version of the NATO collective security framework in the region, where tensions remain high between China and Taiwan, drawing a parallel to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

While he emphasizes the need for the Japan-U.S. bilateral alliance to be solid, he has also said that as premier, he would seek to revise the agreement defining the status of U.S. forces stationed in Japan.

He wants to revise the war-renouncing Constitution to specifically mention the country's Self-Defense Forces, which aligns with the LDP's long-held goal of ending the domestic debate over the constitutionality of the armed organization.

Uncertainty remains over how he will steer the economy, with news of his victory sending the Japanese yen sharply higher against the dollar. He has floated the idea of imposing a higher tax on financial income.

He has taken a positive stance on allowing married couples to use different surnames, a contentious issue that has met resistance from conservative members like Takaichi, who value traditional family structures.

Backed by conservatives aligned with the late premier Shinzo Abe, known for his hawkish views, Takaichi, 63, aspired to become Japan's first-ever female prime minister in her second bid.

The other contenders were former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, 49, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, 63, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, 71, former health minister Katsunobu Kato, 68, Digital Minister Taro Kono, 61, and LDP Secretary General Toshimitsu Motegi, 68.

During the 15-day campaign, the longest on record, the nine candidates ramped up calls for party renewal and presented their visions for Japan, a rapidly aging nation with low growth potential and a key U.S. ally in Asia.

The wide field of candidates emerged as most of the party's factions disbanded. The groups had previously demanded unity among members and influenced their voting behavior.

Some candidates, including Ishiba, approached heavyweights like former Prime Minister Taro Aso, who leads the only faction that has decided not to disband, in apparent last-minute bids to secure behind-the-scenes support.

© KYODO