News Mania Desk /Piyal Chatterjee/ 1st October 2024
As he works to mend party differences and get ready for an early election on October 27, Shigeru Ishiba will be able to formally present his cabinet. Shigeru Ishiba was confirmed as the future prime minister of Japan by parliament on Tuesday.
After a fierce competition, the 67-year-old former minister of defense emerged victorious to head the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Tuesday night, Ishiba is scheduled to attend a late press conference following the Emperor’s formal appointment of him and his government at Tokyo’s Imperial Palace.
After taking office, he has to deal with his party’s scandals and his own brewing resentment over growing living expenses. He also has to handle the unstable security situation in East Asia, which is exacerbated by North Korea’s nuclear weapons and China’s growing assertiveness.
So far those include two rival candidates in the leadership race, Katsunobu Kato as finance minister and Yoshimasa Hayashi to stay on as chief cabinet secretary, a pivotal post that includes the role of top government spokesman, two sources familiar with the appointments told Reuters earlier.
A close Ishiba ally, Takeshi Iwaya, a former defence chief, will take over as foreign minister, while Gen Nakatani will return to the defence ministry, a position he held in 2016, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak publicly, confirming earlier media reports.
According to a different report, Yoji Muto, a former junior minister, would lead the ministry of economy, commerce, and industry.We will concentrate on the Ishiba administration’s diplomatic strategy with the United States, Japan’s closest friend, given that he has frequently asked for a more balanced relationship with Washington.
In an effort to dissuade China, he has also suggested building an Asian counterpart of NATO, a proposal that has already been brushed aside as hurried by a top American official and may incite Beijing’s wrath.
