Leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Shigeru Ishiba was re-elected as the country's Prime Minister on Monday after securing the most votes in both houses of the Japanese Diet.
The Diet, or Parliament, convened an extraordinary session on Monday afternoon to choose the Prime Minister. As the ruling coalition of the LDP and Komeito lost its long-held majority in the general election last month, the vote ran into a runoff between Ishiba and major opposition Constitutional Democratic Party leader Yoshihiko Noda, Xinhua news agency reported.
Declaring the win on X, Ishiba posted, "I have been appointed the 103rd Prime Minister of Japan. In this difficult domestic and international environment, I will do my best to serve the nation and its people."
In the runoff voting in the House of Representatives, 67-year-old Ishiba received 221 votes, outperforming Noda to become the country's 103rd Prime Minister despite falling short of the 233 majority threshold.
He will later be formally inaugurated at a ceremony at the Imperial Palace and hold a press conference in the evening.
Ishiba took office as the country's 102nd Prime Minister in early October and promptly called a snap election, aiming to solidify his position. But instead of a strengthened mandate, he faced a significant setback as voters, frustrated by rising inflation and a slush fund scandal, handed the ruling bloc its worst performance since 2009.
The LDP and Komeito got a total of 215 of the 465 seats in the powerful chamber of Parliament, below the 233 seats needed for the majority. The LDP alone won 191 seats, much less than the 247 seats it held prior to the election.
In contrast, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party significantly increased its representation, rising from 98 seats before the election to 148 seats.
States should boost biz reforms to generate higher incomes for citizens: Eco Survey
States should focus on business reforms on a priority basis to achieve buoyancies in some industrial or service sectors, the Economic Survey 2024-25 said on Friday.
NCERT team seizes pirated textbooks in Agartala
Officials of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), along with Tripura Police, seized pirated NCERT books that were being sold to students in bookshops in Agartala, officials said on Friday.
Mamta Kulkarni's past haunts her, leads to expulsion from Kinnar Akhada
Actress Mamta Kulkarni, who ruled the 90s, has been expelled from the Kinnar Akhada. The designation of Mahamandaleshwar, which was given to the actress, has been revoked. The reason behind the same has been revealed to the actress’ past link to cinema, and her alleged criminal past.
Eco Survey suggests enhanced deregulation for MSMEs to boost growth
Faster economic growth is only possible if the Union and state governments continue to implement reforms that allow small and medium enterprises to operate efficiently and compete cost-effectively, said the Economic Survey 2024 on Friday.
Lifestyle choices, workplace culture key for mental well-being, productivity: Eco Survey
Lifestyle choices and workplace culture are critical for the mental well-being and thus, the productivity of the people in India, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25 on Friday.
Eco Survey: Demographic advantage, responsible approach position India to benefit from AI
With AI research and development currently concentrated in the hands of a few, very large companies that control the resources to erect high entry barriers, AI adoption in place of humans presents the risk of concentrating the benefits of automation.
Prez Murmu faces ‘repeated’ insults from Congress: Sonia Gandhi’s comments fuel backlash
The BJP was quick to condemn the remarks, calling them “derogatory” and accusing the Congress of disrespecting the President. BJP leaders said that Congress’s “feudal mindset” cannot accept that a tribal woman like Droupadi Murmu achieved the position of President of India.
India's farm sector has clocked robust growth on the back of govt schemes: Economic Survey
The agriculture sector in India has shown robust growth in recent years, averaging 5 per cent annually from FY17 to FY23, demonstrating resilience despite challenges, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25.