Ishiba elected Japanese PM

TOKYO: Shigeru Ishiba, leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was officially elected the country's prime minister on Tuesday after winning a majority of votes in both houses of parliament.

The 67-year-old veteran politician unveiled his cabinet lineup consisting of 13 first-time appointees, two reappointments and four returning ministers with previous cabinet experience.

He will later be formally inaugurated in a ceremony at the Imperial Palace and hold a press conference in the evening to lay out his policy priorities.

In the new cabinet, former Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya became minister of foreign affairs, while former Defense Minister Gen Nakatani once again returned to the post.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, the top government spokesman under Kishida, will retain the post of chief cabinet secretary.

Katsunobu Kato, one of Ishiba's competitors in the LDP race, will take the position of finance minister, while Yoji Muto will serve as minister for economy, trade, and industry.

Only two women were appointed to the cabinet: Toshiko Abe as minister of education, culture, sports, science, and technology, and Junko Mihara as minister for children's policies, reducing the number of female ministers by three compared with the Kishida cabinet.

As Ishiba sets to succeed Fumio Kishida who resigned on Tuesday morning, he will face daunting challenges to lead a country with a complex array of pressing issues.

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