Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faces a vote in parliament on Monday to keep him in office. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP news agency.
Sixty-seven-year-old Ishiba took office in early October and called early elections that he hoped would strengthen his mandate as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Voters expressed dissatisfaction with inflation and the funds scandal
Instead, voters disaffected by inflation and a funds scandal that helped sink his predecessor Fumia Kishida gave the party its worst result since 2009, potentially causing a political stalemate in parliament.
Although the conservative LDP and its junior coalition party lost their majority in early elections, they remain the largest bloc in the powerful lower house of parliament.
With Japan’s opposition parties deeply divided on a number of key issues, Ishiba is expected to lead a minority government from Monday when lawmakers meet in an emergency four-day session to appoint a prime minister.
On the diplomatic front, the election victory of the American leader Donald Trump could complicate the situation for the former Minister of Defense Ishiba. Among the risks are potential new trade tariffs and demands for increased defense spending by Tokyo, which has relied on US military technology for decades.
In talks with the LDP, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) requested a reduction in taxes and energy subsidies, which, according to economists, would significantly reduce the government’s tax revenues. In addition to these delicate negotiations, Ishiba also has to contend with discontent in his party, which lost dozens of seats – including ministers – in the October 27 election.
Analysts said potential new U.S. tariffs on Chinese and Japanese goods could boost inflation, while the Trump administration may demand Japan increase its defense spending or push Japanese firms to expand their U.S. factories.
