KATHMANDU: Japan’s parliament will formally elect a new prime minister on October 1, following next week’s leadership contest, a ruling party official confirmed on Wednesday.
Among the nine candidates in the September 27 internal vote to replace Fumio Kishida as leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), three frontrunners have emerged.
They are Conservative Economic Security Minister Sane Takaichi, former LDP Secretary General Shigeru Ishiba, and Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
The LDP, which has held a majority in parliament for decades, plans to convene a session on October 1 to elect the new prime minister, according to LDP lawmaker in charge of parliament affairs Yasukazu Hamada.
The official announcement of the election date will be made on Monday, following confirmation from the opposition party.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has been in office since October 2021, announced his resignation last month after facing a slump in approval ratings due to recent scandals and price increases.
Following the internal election, LDP lawmakers will cast their votes based on party members’ and supporters’ preferences. Polling from various Japanese media outlets has placed Takaichi, Ishiba, and Koizumi in the lead, though this does not guarantee that any of them will ultimately secure victory.
If Koizumi wins, he will become Japan’s youngest prime minister, while Takaichi will make history as the country’s first female leader, if she succeeds.
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