On Monday, November 11th, during the election in the Japanese House of Representatives, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Shigeru Ishiba, defeated his competitor, Constitutional Democratic Party representative Yoshihiko Noda, to become Japan’s 103rd Prime Minister.
In the initial round of voting in the House of Representatives, as no candidate received a majority among the 465 members (233 votes), the top two candidates advanced to the final round. Ultimately, Shigeru Ishiba secured victory with a vote of 221 to 160 against Yoshihiko Noda, becoming Japan’s Prime Minister once again.
This marked the first such election in the House of Representatives in 30 years and the 5th such election in Japanese history.
The Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito Party are set to form a coalition government for the second time. It is expected that later on Monday, newly elected Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will announce the new cabinet lineup.
Due to the defeat of former House of Representatives members Hideki Makihara and Yasuhiro Kozato in the election, it is expected that former Deputy Foreign Minister Shinya Suzuki and former Agriculture Minister Takashi Enodo will respectively assume the positions of Minister of Justice and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.
Furthermore, it is anticipated that Hiroshi Nakano of the Komeito Party will take over as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.
On the morning of the 11th, the first Ishiba cabinet announced its resignation during a cabinet meeting. In the afternoon, Toshihiro Nikai of the Liberal Democratic Party was elected as Speaker, and Koichiro Genba of the Constitutional Democratic Party was elected as Vice-Speaker.
In the House of Councillors, Masakazu Sekiguchi of the Liberal Democratic Party was elected as Speaker, replacing Hidenori Otsuji who resigned due to health reasons.
As a new cabinet formed by a minority party, the Ishiba government is expected to require support from opposition parties for the approval of the budget and significant legislation.
Ahead of parliamentary sessions, the ruling coalition has expressed willingness to collaborate with opposition parties, primarily the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), to promote specific policies.
Shigeru Ishiba has held talks with the leaders of the Democratic Party for the People, Yuichiro Tamaki, and the Constitutional Democratic Party, Yoshihiko Noda.
“I will approach all parties with sincerity,” Ishiba told Kyodo News, “It is crucial to ensure that Japan remains a peaceful country and that people’s lives are improved. In this regard, we align with the Democratic Party for the People and the Constitutional Democratic Party.”
(This article referenced reports from Nikkei News and Kyodo News)