TOKYO, Sept 27 – Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to become Japan’s next prime minister after winning the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election on Friday in a runoff vote, defeating economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, Kyodo news agency reported.
Ishiba won 215 runoff votes against Takaichi’s 194.
Ishiba is expected to select new LDP executives on Monday and form his Cabinet after being elected prime minister at an extraordinary Diet session that begins on Tuesday.
Other candidates were former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Digital Minister Taro Kono and former health minister Katsunobu Kato.
