Japan's Parliament Will Choose New PM, Takaichi Faces Heavy Challenges

PHOTO via Instagram @takaichi_sanae

JAKARTA - The ruling parties and opposition in Japan agreed to hold a vote in parliament to elect a new prime minister (PM) on Tuesday, Kyodomelaporkan news agency.

The vote will take place after PMShigheru Ishiba withdrew on September 7 following the poor results of its coalition in the election of members of the Lower House in October 2024 and the High Council in July 2025.

Japan's political map is now hit by turmoil after the new leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Sanae Takaichi (64), attempted to form a governing coalition. The exit of the Komeito party from their alliance last week cost LDP the majority.

Reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Friday, October 17, Takaichi, a conservative hardline and close ally of the late PM Shinzo Abe, made history as the first woman to lead the LDP. However, his steps to occupy the seat of Japanese PM are still full of uncertainty.

In another camp, Japan's Constitutional Democratic Party, is also trying to unite opposition forces to propose a joint candidate to face Takaichi.

On Thursday, LDP and the Japanese Innovation Party (JIP) started coalition negotiations after Komeito left.

However, JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura insists his party will not form a coalition with LDP unless there is an agreement to reduce the number of parliamentary seats by the end of the year, according to Kyodo.

In the Lower House with 465 members, LDP controls 196 seats, while to elect PM it takes 233 votes. The rest of the seats occupied by the Japan Constitutional Democratic Party (148), JIP (35), the Democratic Party for the People (27), and Komeito (24).