Japan Poised to Appoint Its First Female Prime Minister
According to the English section of webangah News Agency, quoting Mehr News Agency and al Jazeera, Sanae Takaichi defeated Shinjiro Koizumi-son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi-in the second round of the party leadership vote. This outcome raises the likelihood that Japan could soon have its first female prime minister.
Sixty-four-year-old Takaichi, a former Minister of economic Security, is known for her right-leaning stance within Japan’s ruling party.
The Japanese parliament is expected to hold a vote for prime minister on October 15.
The Saturday vote involved only 295 members from the ruling party’s parliamentary group and about one million paying party members. This selection process represents just one percent of Japan’s population.
Takaichi is expected to succeed current prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba since their party remains dominant in parliament. However, following recent elections, the coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party no longer holds a majority in either house and will require cooperation from opposition lawmakers to govern effectively.
If appointed prime minister, takaichi will face a series of complex challenges including an aging population, geopolitical tensions, economic decline, and growing concerns over immigration.
