Japan’s parliament selected Shigeru Ishiba, the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, as the new prime minister.
Ishiba, who was elected as the party’s chief last Friday in place of Fumio Kishida, who resigned earlier that day to facilitate the transition, received the nomination in the lower house, the more authoritative of the two parliamentary chambers. He then proceeded to the Prime Minister’s Office to establish his Cabinet after bowing in acknowledgment.
Ishiba is scheduled to hold a press conference to unveil his Cabinet lineup and outline some of his key policy objectives.
Kishida assumed office in 2021 but stepped down to allow for a new leader following a series of scandals during his administration. Ishiba has announced plans to schedule a parliamentary election for October 27 to seek the “people’s verdict” promptly under his new government.
