Japan’s
governing party on Friday picked former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba as its
leader, setting him up to become prime minister next week.
The
party leadership is a ticket to the top job because the Liberal Democratic
Party’s governing coalition controls parliament. Considered a defense policy
expert, Ishiba secured a come-from-behind win against Economic Security
Minister Sanae Takaichi, a staunch conservative who hoped to become the
country’s first female prime minister.
The
LDP, which has enjoyed nearly unbroken rule since World War II, may have seen
Ishiba’s more centrist views as crucial in pushing back challenges by the
liberal-leaning opposition and winning voter support as the party reels from
corruption scandals that drove down outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s
popularity.
After
his victory was announced, Ishiba stood up, waved and bowed repeatedly. “I will
devote all my body and soul to making Japan a safe and secure country where
everyone can live smiling,” he told lawmakers.
Ishiba
is expected to call a general election to try to capitalize on his win, but it
is unclear when.
Ishiba
has proposed an Asian version of the NATO military alliance and a more equal
Japan-U.S. security alliance, including having Japanese Self Defense Force
bases in the United States. He is a supporter of Taiwan’ s democracy. He also
advocates the establishment of a disaster management agency in one of the
world’s most disaster-prone countries.
Ishiba,
first elected to parliament in 1986, has served as defense minister, agriculture
minister and in other key Cabinet posts, and was LDP secretary general under
former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
But
he has long been viewed with wariness by powerful conservatives in his party.
The 67-year-old former banker was running in the party leadership race for a
fifth time and had said this was going to be his “final battle.”
A
hawk on defense issues, Ishiba has riled some party leaders by supporting
measures to improve gaps between men and women and legalizing same-sex
marriage.
A
record nine lawmakers, including two women, ran in the vote decided by LDP
members of parliament and about 1 million dues-paying party members. That’s
only 1% of the country’s eligible voters.
Some
experts believe that party turmoil could mean that Japan will return to an era
similar to the early 2000s, which saw “revolving door” leadership changes and
political instability. A succession of short-lived governments hurts Japanese
prime ministers’ ability to set up long-term policy goals or develop trusted
relations with other leaders.
On
Tuesday, Kishida and his Cabinet ministers will resign. Ishiba, after being
formally elected in a parliamentary vote, will then form a new Cabinet later in
the day. Kishida congratulated Ishiba on his victory and said his election is
the first step for a new LDP.
“The
LDP will be reborn, and will live up to the people’s expectations and achieve
results,” he said. As Japan faces security tensions in the region and
elsewhere, Japan must step up its own defense power and its ties with the United
States, he said.
The
main opposition group, the liberal-leaning Constitutional Democratic Party of
Japan, has struggled to build momentum despite the LDP scandals. Experts say
its newly elected leader, centrist former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, is pushing
a conservative shift for the party to attract swing voters.