The 64-year-old prevailed in a runoff election against Taro Kono.
(Photo: Reuters)
Tokyo Former Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida won the election as the new chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Wednesday. The conservative politician is expected to be elected on October 4th with the LDP majority in the lower house of parliament as the successor to Yoshihide Suga as prime minister of the country. The 64-year-old prevailed in a runoff election against ex-foreign minister Taro Kono.
As minister, he was responsible for the vaccination campaign against the corona virus. The two candidates Sanae Takaichi and Seiko Noda were eliminated in the first ballot.
Suga, who only took office a year ago as the successor to Shinzo Abe, did not stand for re-election. Suga was recently criticized.
It was triggered by the government’s response to the pandemic, which many citizens perceive to be inadequate, and Suga’s decision not to cancel the Olympic Games, contrary to the advice of numerous experts. The approval rating for the Prime Minister fell. The party hopes that a new chairman will bring a boost to the upcoming parliamentary election.
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Kishida must quickly improve the party’s tarnished image among the population, as the election for the powerful lower house of the national parliament is due in November.
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