Sanae Takaichi was elected as Japan’s first ever female prime minister on Tuesday. She received 237 votes in the Lower House and 125 votes in the Upper House, which was enough to secure a simple majority in both houses. Her victory came after the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Nippon Ishin (the Japan Innovation Party) agreed to form a coalition the previous evening.
LDP and Nippon Ishin’s Coalition
According to Reuters, Ishin agreed to the coalition after the LDP backed several of its policies, such as a one-tenth cut in parliamentary seats, free high school education and a two-year pause to the consumption tax on food. The two parties are on the same page regarding several policies, including wanting to rewrite the country’s pacifist constitution and impose stricter immigration controls.
After they agreed to the partnership, Takaichi, 64, told Ishin’s co-leader, Hirofumi Yoshimura, “I’m very much looking forward to working with you on efforts to make Japan’s economy stronger and to reshape Japan as a country that can be responsible for future generations.” Yoshimura, who serves as the governor of Osaka Prefecture, said, “We share fundamental values. We want our kids to think ‘I’m happy to have been born in Japan.’”
Takaichi Becomes Prime Minister Despite Komeito’s Withdrawal
For a while it looked like Takaichi’s bid to become prime minister was under serious threat. Less than a week after she won the vote to become the LDP’s fifth leader, the party’s junior partner, Komeito, announced that it was leaving the coalition. Leader Tetsuo Saito said the LDP failed to provide sufficient answers regarding political funding issues.
If opposition parties had worked together, they could have formed a new government. Yuichiro Tamaki, 56, the leader of the conservative Democratic Party for the People, was touted as Takaichi’s most likely challenger. According to Tamaki, he discussed the possibility of unifying opposition candidates with Ishin’s co-leader Fumitake Fujita before the party agreed to a coalition with the LDP. “I’m disappointed how he treated us like he was two-faced,” said Tamaki.
Takaichi will be sworn in as Japan’s 104th prime minister after meeting the emperor.
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AloJapan.com