Japan’s governing party on Saturday elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, making her likely to become the country’s first female prime minister.
In a country that ranks poorly internationally for gender equality, Takaichi would make history as the first female leader of Japan's long-governing conservative Liberal Democratic Party. She is one of the most conservative members of the male-dominated party.
Takaichi beat Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of popular former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, in a runoff in an intraparty vote by the LDP on Saturday.
Takaichi replaces Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba as the party hopes to regain public support and stay in power after major election losses.
She is likely to be Japan’s next prime minister because the party remains by far the largest in the lower house, which determines the national leader, and because opposition groups are highly splintered.
The LDP, whose consecutive losses in parliamentary elections in the past year have left it in the minority in both houses, wants to select a leader who can quickly address challenges in and outside Japan, while seeking cooperation from key opposition groups to implement its policies.
Five candidates — two currently serving and three former ministers — were vying for the LDP presidency.
Saturday’s vote only involved 295 LDP parliamentarians and about 1 million dues-paying members. It only reflected 1% of the Japanese public.
A parliamentary vote is expected in mid-October. The LDP, which has been criticized by opposition leaders for creating a prolonged political vacuum, needs to hurry because the winner will soon face a diplomatic test: a possible summit with US President Donald Trump, who could demand that Japan increase its defense spending.
A meeting is reportedly being planned for late October. Trump will travel to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea starting Oct. 31.
The LDP also needs help from the opposition, which it has long neglected. The party will likely look to expand its current coalition with the moderate centrist Komeito with at least one of the key opposition parties, which are more centrist.
All five candidates have called themselves “moderate conservatives” to show their willingness to work with the opposition.
They all campaigned for measures to combat rising prices and achieve larger salary increases, to strengthen defense and the economy, and for tougher measures on foreign workers. They stayed away from divisive liberal social issues such as gender equality and sexual diversity.
Experts say they avoided discussing their usual political views on historical issues and other contentious topics, including the party’s political funds scandal, which was the biggest reason for their election losses, and anti-corruption measures. Their avoidance of these subjects raised doubts over the party's ability to regain public trust, analysts said.
Earlier polls had Koizumi, Takaichi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, a moderate veteran politician as front-runners. Two others, Trade Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Economic Minister Takayuki Kobayashi, were seen as less likely contenders. Koizumi would have been the youngest prime minister in more than a century if he had won.
