Takaichi elected new leader of Japan’s ruling party, set to become first female prime minister

International News | World news Posted on 2025-10-06 01:50:48

TOKYO – Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Saturday elected former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi as its new president, positioning her to become the country’s first female prime minister.

Takaichi, 64, secured 185 votes against agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s 156 in a runoff election to determine the successor to outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

The runoff was triggered after none of the five candidates—including Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, former LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, and former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi—achieved a majority in the first round of voting.

Her victory marks a historic moment in Japanese politics, breaking the gender barrier in the nation’s highest political office.

— NPO News Team | PNA-PR