Shigeru Ishiba gets a new term as the country’s Prime Minister after parliamentary vote

Tokyo: Following a parliamentary vote on Monday, Shigeru Ishiba, the leader of Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was re-elected as prime minister, according to local media.

Following the resignation of his predecessor, Fumio Kishida, due to a slew of scandals, Ishiba, 67, was initially sworn in as prime minister in September.

The LDP leader became the 103rd prime minister of Japan after defeating opposition leader Yoshihiko Noda in a runoff election in the Lower House of the Japanese Diet.

Ishiba and his cabinet resigned before Monday’s special parliamentary session so that the prime ministerial vote could take place.

None of the candidates received the majority of 233 votes needed to be elected prime minister in the first round of voting in the 465-member House of Representatives. The LDP head was later proclaimed the victor, with 84 ballots ruled invalid after Ishiba earned 221 votes and Noda more than 160, according to Kyodo.

Taku Eto will return to his position as agricultural minister, while Keisuke Suzuki, a former senior deputy foreign minister, will be appointed the nation’s next justice minister. Tetsuo Saito, who became the party’s leader, will be replaced as land minister by Hiromasa Nakano, a Komeito politician, according to the Japanese news agency.

Despite missing the 233 majority requirement, Ishiba, 67, garnered 221 votes in the House of Representatives runoff voting, surpassing Noda to become the nation’s 103rd prime minister. Later, Ishiba will conduct a news conference in the evening and be officially inaugurated in a ceremony at the Imperial Palace.

Given the possibility of a minority administration, the governing coalition must pay more attention to the demands of the opposition group, which has become stronger since the general election on October 27.

For the first time in thirty years, an opposition member will serve as the head of the lower house’s influential budget committee, serving as a clear reminder of its waning hold on parliament. According to Kyodo News, diet discussions could need additional time and compromises from the governing group.

With four times as many seats as before the election, the CDPJ and the opposition Democratic Party for the People, which has been courted by both parties, are both more prevalent in the lower house.

Since the LDP’s inability to rebuild voter confidence after the governing party’s improper management of campaign finances contributed to its election setback is anticipated to increase pressure on Ishiba to demand significant political changes, according to Kyodo News.

To increase transparency in the flow of political contributions and to create a third-party panel to enforce checks, the CDPJ and the DPP are advocating for a law change.

The government intends to cut energy costs via subsidies and provide low-income workers cash handouts as part of a package of economic measures meant to lessen the negative effects of increasing prices.

The package will need funding from a supplemental budget for the current fiscal year through March of next year.

According to Kyodo News, Ishiba is motivated to maintain stability and continuity in the face of the nation’s many problems, which include inflation and security risks from China, North Korea, and Russia.

This time, he is anticipated to mostly replace those who lost their seats in the election and make just slight adjustments to his cabinet makeup.