Japan's incoming Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba calls election for October 27, seeks to unify party
Shigeru Ishiba called a general election before being confirmed as prime minister.
In short:
Japan's incoming Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced a general election for October 27.
Mr Ishiba has begun picking government and party officials who will contest the upcoming general election with him, including two rival candidates from the leadership race.
Japanese shares fell over 4 per cent after Mr Ishiba's LDP leadership victory.
Japan's incoming prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, said on Monday he would call a general election for October 27 following his victory in one of the closest-ever leadership races for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
The poll, which will come a year early and ahead of the US presidential election in November, will decide which party controls parliament's lower house.
MPs there will meet on Tuesday to confirm him as the country's next prime minister.
"It is important for the new administration to be judged by the people as soon as possible," Mr Ishiba said at a press conference at LDP headquarters in Tokyo.
Japanese shares fell more than 4 per cent in early trading on Monday as the yen strengthened and Japanese government bonds jumped in reaction to the leadership win by Mr Ishiba, who is seen as a monetary policy hawk.
Japanese shares fell more than 4 per cent in early trading on Monday as the yen strengthened in reaction to the leadership win by Mr Ishiba.
Mr Ishiba on Monday began picking government and party officials who would contest the upcoming general election with him.
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 earlier told Reuters.
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 were not authorised to speak to the media, confirming earlier media reports.
Takeshi Iwaya, a former defence chief, is set to take over as foreign minister.
Yoji Muto, a former junior minister, will take charge at the economy, trade and industry ministry, a separate source said.
Not included in his picks, however, is Sanae Takaichi, the hardline conservative Mr Ishida beat by 215 votes to 194 on Friday in the closest leadership election in almost seven decades.
Mr Takaichi's absence could make it difficult for Mr Ishiba to manage a fractious ruling group roiled by scandals that have sapped its public support.
Media reports that Mr Takaichi declined a post "could point to a weakness in Ishiba's support base, which could cause him problems going forward," said Hiroshi Shiratori, a political science professor at Hosei University in Tokyo.
Mr Ishiba picked another rival, Shinjiro Koizumi, as his election campaign chief, along with former prime minister Yoshihide Suga, a Koizumi backer, who is the party's new vice-president.
Both joined him at his press conference on Monday.
Mr Ishiba, 67, won the LDP leadership race on his fifth attempt with strong backing from rank-and-file members.
He is, however, considered something of troublemaker by many of his parliamentary colleagues for often defying party policy.
On Friday before his run-off election against Mr Takaichi, he apologised to LDP MPs for his "shortcomings".
Reuters
By：https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-30/japan-election-october-2024/104415110(责任编辑：admin)
Socceroos rescue a point 
Wallabies thrash Wales 52
Jake Paul beats Mike Tyso
Live updates: England vs 
US election 2024: Donald 
US election live: Kamala
- ·North Korea's latest weapon agains
- ·Inside the rise of US oligarchs and how
- ·Hezbollah says Israel 'cannot impo
- ·Thailand's worst suspected serial
- ·Tabi shoes are turning heads from Holly
- ·Illegal immigrant gets life sentence fo
- ·FBI arrests Florida man planning attack
- ·Bibles, water, watches and sneakers: Do
- ·North Korea's latest weapon against
- ·Inside the rise of US oligarchs and how i
- ·Hezbollah says Israel 'cannot impose
- ·Thailand's worst suspected serial ki
- ·Tabi shoes are turning heads from Hollywo
- ·Illegal immigrant gets life sentence for
- ·FBI arrests Florida man planning attack o
- ·Bibles, water, watches and sneakers: Dona
- ·US to give Kyiv anti-personnel landmines
- ·An arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu
- ·One of Vietnam's high-profile politi
- ·Shanghai Walmart Attack: A Man Randomly S
- ·South Korean police officers jailed over
- ·Cambodia publicly shames maid deported af
- ·North Korea to use all forces including n
- ·Philippines condemns China attack of Viet
- ·US adds 2 more Chinese companies to Uyghu
- ·North Korean defector steals South Korean
- ·Malaysia deports Cambodian worker for cal
- ·Rebels battle for Myanmar junta’s weste