Following the resignation of Fumio Kishida, Japan’s parliament will elect a new prime minister on Tuesday, October 21. This marks the beginning of a new political era for the nation. This will take place in a special session of the national Diet and is a moment of new direction for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the rest of the country’s politics. After taking office in October 2021, the now ex-prime minister Kishida announced his resignation, citing numerous reasons.
Kishida’s drop in ratings was a significant factor in his resignation
The most significant drop in approval ratings and pressure from the cabinet were major factors in Kishida’s resignation. Kishida’s focus was largely on post-pandemic economic revival, equity inflation, and defense spending, but his focus neglected the criticism directed toward him on unpopular tax reforms and the handling of regional complexities.
The upcoming vote is expected to cement Kishida’s successor. Former Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi has earned a reputation for his reasonable approach to diplomacy as well as economic reform.
Tara Kono is also a contender; he practices reformism, has a notable social media presence, and is admired for his politeness.
Both Yoshimasa and Kono represent opposing factions of the LDP
The two contenders represent the opposing factions, which suggests their leadership styles will determine the international, political, and economic policy of Japan.
The election will follow parliamentary protocols as it has before. There will be voting from the members of the HoR as well as the HoC, with the individual who wins a majority of votes in both being named prime minister.
LDP members of the diet will have a large say in the outcome. However, the LDP will have a large say in the outcome.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
“We hope that Japan will abide by the principles and consensus set out in the 4 political documents between China and Japan… and put into practice the positioning of comprehensively advancing the strategic relationship of mutual benefit.”
Election discussions – What about the public?
Election-related discussions in public have to do with candidates who will tackle the country’s most pressing problems, like the economy, climate change, and the aging of the population.
For the new prime minister, the management of Japan’s strategic international relationships will be most difficult, especially with the United States, as well as with China and North Korea.
There are plans made for security and polling for the sessions of the National Diet, and for the first time, voters will be able to see a live broadcast of the election polling. Reports say that citizens will be able to watch the election and see the changes occurring in real time.
Political experts say the changes will influence the future
Political experts say that the changes that will be made for the first time in Japanese politics will influence the future, particularly from an international and internal perspective. It will be interesting to see how politics will shift for the first time in many decades from conservative to liberal, particularly in Japanese politics, which is considered very conservative.
The value of the vote extends to international relations as Abe’s outlined global strategies are executed, particularly from the U.S., the EU, and key Asian countries. The governance of U.S. and Japanese global strategies will be solidified with the new defense and energy policies.
These policies will be shaped under the new Prime Minister. This vote will solidify Japan’s relationship with the rest of the world, particularly the U.S., for the first time in many decades. It will for the first time reflect Ave’s outlined international strategies, which are yet to be executed.