Shigeru Ishiba Plans October 27 Election After Prime Minister Appointment

Shigeru Ishiba to call a parliamentary election for October 27 post-appointment as Japan’s prime minister, focusing on security and economic reforms.

Shigeru Ishiba, who’s about to become Japan’s new prime minister, is getting ready to call a big election on October 27.

As the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Ishiba is pretty sure he’ll keep his job, thanks to the party’s stronghold on parliament.

Ishiba, who got the job as party leader on Friday, said he wants to have the election on Monday, right after he announced his team, setting the stage for picking his Cabinet.

Even though he hasn’t officially started yet, Ishiba stressed how important it is to let everyone know about this plan for it to work smoothly.

“I think it’s super important for the new government to get the thumbs up from the public as soon as they can,” he said.

Looking ahead at the tough election battle, he chose Shinjiro Koizumi, who came in third in the leader vote, to head the party’s campaign team.

Ishiba is planning to bring in experts in defense and trusted friends, picking Takeshi Iwaya to be the foreign minister and Gen Nakatani as the defense chief once he’s in charge.

A big deal in shaping Japan’s defense strategy, Ishiba has suggested making a group for Asia that’s like NATO to boost military teamwork in the area and also wants to talk more about how to use U.S. nuclear weapons with allies.

He’s thinking of a more team-based approach to the Japan-U.S. security deal, which includes sharing control of U.S. military bases in Japan and setting up Japanese Self-Defense Force bases in the U.S.

The LDP’s almost unbroken run in power since World War II has been about having to keep up with changing politics.

Ishiba’s more middle-of-the-road approach is seen as key to fighting off challenges from the liberal opposition and winning back the trust of voters after scandals have made Kishida look bad.

Ishiba has made it clear that Japan’s security is a top priority, pointing to recent attacks on Japanese airspace by Russian and Chinese planes and the ongoing threats from North Korea with missiles.

He’s also committed to keeping up with Kishida’s economic plans to fight deflation and help workers earn more money while tackling big issues like Japan’s falling birthrate and the rise in natural disasters.

Having been in parliament since 1986, Ishiba has a lot of experience, including times as defense and agriculture minister and has played key roles in past Cabinets, serving as LDP secretary-general under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

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