Politics Japan's former defense minister Ishiba to become new prime minister

Japan's ruling LDP party has elected former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba as the new party leader and thus de facto head of the country's government.

Thanks to the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) majority in the authoritative lower house of parliament, Ishiba is practically certain to be elected prime minister of the world's fourth-largest economy on October 1.

The 67-year-old will succeed party and government leader Fumio Kishida, who did not stand for election due to a party donation scandal. Ishiba only prevailed in a run-off election against the national-conservative Minister for Economic Security, Sanae Takaichi.

It was Ishiba's fifth and, by his own admission, last attempt to be elected head of the party and government. He is popular with the party base and the people for his advocacy of reforms and a revitalization of Japan's rural regions, which are suffering from an ageing population. Among LDP MPs, however, Ishiba has often been isolated due to his open criticism of the party leadership.

Many challenges for the political veteran

The political veteran now faces the task of renewing his party, which has been in power almost continuously for decades and has been rocked by scandals, and winning back voters' trust ahead of upcoming elections.

Ishiba also faces enormous economic and foreign policy challenges. These include China's growing desire for power in the region and the threat posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear program. He repeatedly emphasized the importance of the security alliance with Japan's protecting power, the USA.

Ishiba has plenty of government experience: he was Minister of Defense from 2007 to 2008 and later Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as well as Minister of Rural Revitalization. He wants to significantly reduce the proportion of nuclear energy in his country's energy supply and, in his own words, exploit the potential of renewable energies.