International
oi-Amit Vasudev
Former
Defence
Minister
of
Japan,
Shigeru
Ishiba,
is
poised
to
become
the
country’s
next
prime
minister
after
securing
victory
in
a
tightly
contested
leadership
race
on
Friday.
This
marked
his
fifth
and,
as
he
called
it,
“final
attempt” to
lead
the
ruling
Liberal
Democratic
Party
(LDP).

Ishiba
The
67-year-old
veteran
politician
defeated
hard-line
nationalist
Sanae
Takaichi
in
a
run-off
vote
in
what
was
one
of
the
most
unpredictable
leadership
contests
in
recent
memory,
featuring
a
record
nine
candidates.
As
leader
of
the
LDP,
which
has
governed
Japan
for
nearly
the
entire
post-war
period,
Ishiba
is
effectively
guaranteed
to
become
the
next
prime
minister
due
to
the
party’s
majority
in
parliament.
A
special
parliamentary
session
is
scheduled
for
Tuesday
to
formally
vote
him
into
office,
reported
Reuters.
Recommended
Video
Who
is
Shigeru
Ishiba?
Former
Defence
Minister,
Set
to
Become
Japan’s
Next
Prime
Minister
In
an
emotional
speech
to
LDP
lawmakers
after
his
victory,
Ishiba
said,
“We
must
believe
in
the
people,
speak
the
truth
with
courage
and
sincerity,
and
work
together
to
make
Japan
a
safe
and
secure
country
where
everyone
can
live
with
a
smile
once
again.”
The
race
to
replace
outgoing
Prime
Minister
Fumio
Kishida
was
triggered
in
August
when
Kishida
announced
his
resignation
following
a
series
of
scandals
that
severely
damaged
the
LDP’s
popularity,
pushing
its
approval
ratings
to
record
lows.
Known
as
a
“lone
wolf,”
Ishiba’s
independent-minded
views
and
frequent
clashes
with
party
colleagues
led
to
four
previous
unsuccessful
bids
for
the
party
leadership.
Despite
this,
he
has
maintained
strong
popularity
with
the
general
public,
though
he
described
this
race
as
his
“final
battle.”
With
a
general
election
expected
within
the
next
13
months,
analysts
suggest
Ishiba’s
selection
reflects
the
party’s
willingness
to
set
aside
internal
differences
to
leverage
his
public
appeal.
Jeffrey
Hall,
a
lecturer
at
Kanda
University
of
International
Studies,
noted
that
LDP
members
seem
to
have
“gravitated
towards
a
popular
figure
who
does
well
in
media
appearances
and
isn’t
afraid
to
criticise
his
own
party
when
he
thinks
they’re
in
the
wrong.”
The
yen
strengthened
against
the
dollar
after
news
of
Ishiba’s
victory,
reversing
earlier
declines
when
it
was
announced
he
would
face
Takaichi,
a
proponent
of
monetary
easing
and
fiscal
expansion,
in
the
run-off.
Ishiba
now
faces
numerous
challenges,
both
domestically
and
internationally.
He
must
address
public
discontent
over
rising
living
costs
and
manage
the
fallout
from
the
scandals
that
have
plagued
his
party.
Internationally,
he
must
navigate
a
tense
security
environment
in
East
Asia,
marked
by
an
increasingly
assertive
China
and
the
threat
posed
by
nuclear-armed
North
Korea.
Ishiba’s
diplomatic
approach,
particularly
regarding
Japan’s
relationship
with
its
closest
ally,
the
United
States,
will
be
under
scrutiny.
He
has
previously
advocated
for
a
more
balanced
relationship
with
Washington
and
has
called
for
the
creation
of
an
Asian
NATO,
a
proposal
that
could
provoke
reaction
from
China
and
has
already
been
dismissed
as
premature
by
a
senior
US
official.
US
Ambassador
to
Japan
Rahm
Emanuel
congratulated
Ishiba
via
a
post
on
X,
stating
he
looked
forward
to
working
with
him
to
strengthen
the
US-Japan
alliance.
Meanwhile,
a
spokesperson
for
China’s
foreign
ministry
responded
to
Ishiba’s
appointment
by
expressing
hope
that
Japan
would
maintain
an
“objective
and
correct”
understanding
of
China.
Ishiba
began
his
political
career
in
1986
after
a
brief
stint
in
banking.
His
outspoken
positions
have
made
him
a
controversial
figure
within
the
LDP.
He
was
marginalised
by
the
outgoing
Prime
Minister
Kishida
but
gained
robust
support
from
the
party’s
rank-and-file
members
and
the
general
public.
Among
the
issues
that
Ishiba
has
rebelled
against
are
the
increased
use
of
nuclear
energy,
a
topic
that
remains
highly
sensitive
following
the
2011
Fukushima
nuclear
disaster.
He
has
also
criticised
his
party’s
stance
on
maintaining
a
ban
on
married
couples
using
separate
surnames.
Hideki
Masui,
the
head
of
the
pro-nuclear
energy
group
Japan
Atomic
Industrial
Forum,
expressed
hope
on
Friday
that
Ishiba’s
leadership
would
continue
to
promote
nuclear
power,
which
he
argued
is
crucial
to
Japan’s
energy
security.
To
stabilise
his
leadership
within
the
LDP,
Ishiba
will
need
to
form
a
cabinet
that
draws
from
a
broad
base
of
support,
according
to
Rintaro
Nishimura,
an
associate
at
The
Asia
Group
Japan.
“If
he
just
rewards
the
people
who
supported
him,
that’s
going
to
cause
a
lot
of
trouble
with
the
people
who
supported
Takaichi
and
the
people
who
dislike
him,”
Nishimura
warned.
Ishiba
is
expected
to
announce
his
cabinet
lineup
following
Tuesday’s
parliamentary
session.