Know who is Shigeru Ishiba, who is going to become the new Prime Minister of Japan

Japan News: Japan has got a new Prime Minister in the form of Shigeru Ishiba. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has chosen Shigeru Ishiba as its leader, and now he is certain to be elected as the Prime Minister, as the LDP coalition has a majority in both houses of Parliament. Ishiba will officially take over as Prime Minister next week.

Leadership election in LDP

Ishiba has been elected as the party leader by LDP MPs and grassroots members. Current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is surrounded by corruption allegations, and the party chose Ishiba as the new leader to win back the confidence of the public. A total of nine candidates, including two women, were in the fray in this election.

Shigeru Ishiba, Sanae Takaichi (Minister of Economic Security), and Shinjiro Koizumi (former Environment Minister) were considered the strongest contenders within the party. Ishiba was reported to be the frontrunner in media surveys, and eventually he won this leadership election.

Defeat of Takaichi, close to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Sane Takaichi, who is considered close to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, failed in this election. She is counted among the staunch conservative leaders. Apart from this, Shinjiro Koizumi is the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Although all these leaders performed strongly, but ultimately Ishiba won.

Who is Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba?

Shigeru Ishiba has been the former Defense Minister of Japan. He has come a long way in politics and he is very fond of reading books, he reads three books a day. 67-year-old Ishiba had earlier made four unsuccessful attempts for the top post of the party. Ishiba, who reached Parliament for the first time in 1986, started his political career during the period of Japan's rapidly growing economy.

Kishida's government and Ishiba's challenge

Public trust in the LDP has declined over the past two years due to a number of scandals. Critics had raised questions about the LDP's disclosure of suspicious ties to a church and unrecorded donations. Prime Minister Kishida and his cabinet faced these allegations, and eventually decided to step down.

Fumio Kishida and his government will resign on Tuesday, and Ishiba will then take over as prime minister. Ishiba sees his victory as "the final battle." He began his election campaign from a Shinto shrine in his home province of Tottori, where his father was governor.

The way forward

Japan has a history of political instability, and Ishiba will face a major challenge in maintaining the country's stability. If he can control the party's factional conflicts, he will have an opportunity to provide a stable leadership. Ishiba now has a big opportunity to live up to public expectations and restore the LDP's lost credibility.