TOKYO (AP) — Shigeru Ishiba, the head of Japan’s governing party, said on Monday he plans to call a parliamentary election on Oct. 27 after he is formally elected as prime minister on Tuesday. Ishiba was elected party leader to succeed outgoing leader Fumio Kishida in a party vote Friday.
Ishiba is assured to be elected as next prime minister because the Liberal Democratic Party and its ruling coalition controls parliament. Ishiba has said he will hold an election as soon as possible to seek the public's mandate for his policies. Kishida bowed out of the race to pave the way for a fresh leader to shake off the party's damaging scandals that dogged popularity of his government.
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