Japan’s Parliament will elect a new leader on October 21 following Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation. Sanae Takaichi is the frontrunner.
Japan’s Parliament is set to vote on Tuesday, October 21, to elect the country’s next prime minister after the resignation of outgoing leader Shigeru Ishiba last month. The process could mark a historic moment for Japan, as Sanae Takaichi may become its first Prime Minister.
The decision followed a meeting between the heads of the Diet Affairs Committees from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), according to CDP representative Hirofumi Ryu.
Both parties, which control a majority in both chambers, also agreed to extend the extraordinary Diet session until December 17, although the leadership vote will take place only on Tuesday.
Ishiba’s resignation, after barely a year in office, came on the heels of poor election results that weakened the LDP’s long-standing dominance. His departure triggered an internal party race that ended with the victory of Sanae Takaichi, a former interior minister and close ally of the late former prime minister Shinzo Abe.
Takaichi, 63, is now working to secure parliamentary backing for her appointment. Her biggest challenge stems from the LDP’s recent breakup with its longtime coalition partner, Komeito, after disagreements related to a campaign finance scandal.
Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito said the split was due to “the LDP’s lack of transparency and accountability.” The rift threatens Takaichi’s path to victory, forcing her to seek support from the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) and the Democratic Party for the People (DPP).
The latter’s leader, Yuichiro Tamaki, is being considered as a potential unified opposition candidate.
In the LDP leadership election earlier this month, Takaichi secured 185 of 342 votes, defeating Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who received 156. Koizumi, 44, had sought to become Japan’s youngest postwar leader.
According to economist Takahide Kiuchi of the Nomura Research Institute, a Takaichi administration could bring economic uncertainty. “If the opposition parties and Komeito unite behind Tamaki, it could lead to an alternative coalition government, reversing market expectations built on Takaichi’s policies,” he said.
Next Tuesday, the Parliament will determine whether Japan moves forward with its first female Prime Minister or whether a new opposition alliance reshapes the nation’s political landscape.
