Sanae Takaichi wins historic vote to become Japan’s first female prime minister

Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi was elected prime minister by parliament on Tuesday (21), to become the country’s first female leader.

Takaichi avoided a runoff by rolling to victory in a first round of voting in the Lower House, garnering 237 votes against Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda’s 149.

Lawmakers applauded Takaichi as she voted and welcomed her with another thunderous round of applause after her election.

Monday’s coalition agreement between the LDP and the Japan Innovation Party (JIP) had made a Takaichi victory all but certain by delivering the support needed to fend off any challenge from a united opposition.

Takaichi was on Tuesday morning already moving ahead with forming a Cabinet ahead of her formal election as prime minister. No lawmakers from the JIP — which is also known as Nippon Ishin no Kai — are expected to join the Cabinet.

Early media reports suggest that some of her fellow contenders in the party presidential race — including Yoshimasa Hayashi, Shinjiro Koizumi and former Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi — could secure key Cabinet posts in the new administration. Hayashi and Koizumi, who served as the government’s top spokesman and farm minister, respectively, resigned en masse from the Cabinet of Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday morning.

During her campaign for the LDP presidency, Takaichi had also hinted she would appoint a high number of female lawmakers if she took government.

Meanwhile, JIP parliamentary affairs chief Takashi Endo — one of the key architects of the coalition — is expected to be named adviser to the prime minister.

A former economic security and internal affairs minister, Takaichi has served in the Lower House for roughly 30 years.

She secured the LDP leadership earlier this month on her third attempt.

Source: Japan Times

- Agencies