TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s ruling party on Friday picked former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba as leader. He will become prime minister next week. The party leadership win is a ticket to the top job because the Liberal Democratic Party’s ruling coalition currently controls the parliament.
A record nine candidates, including two women, ran in a vote decided by the party’s lawmakers and grassroots members. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's governing party is holding its leadership election on Friday that will determine the nation's new prime minister. The winner of the vote by the Liberal Democratic Party is assured of being chosen prime minister in a parliamentary vote next week because the governing coalition controls both houses. No one won a majority in the first round of voting, forcing a runoff among former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who has been ranked No.
1 in media surveys, and Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, a staunch conservative who ran against Kishida in 2021. If Takaichi wins, she would become Japan’s first female prime minister. A record nine lawmakers , including two women, vied for the job, with backroom dealing among party heavyweights making the outcome hard to predict.
The current p rime minister, Fumio Kishida , has been dogged by party corruption scandals, and the LDP is looking for a fresh leader in hopes of regaining public trust before a looming general election. The vote is .