Sanae Takaichi expected to become Japan's first female PM after winning ruling party leadership

"Japan is about to get its first female prime minister, after Sanae Takaichi was elected as leader of the governing Liberal Democratic party (LDP) a victory that should see her installed as the country's new leader in the middle of the month. Takaichi, a rightwinger who has voiced admiration for Margaret Thatcher in her quest to build a strong and prosperous Japan on the international stage, beat her moderate rival, Shinjiro Koizumi, in a runoff election at the LDP headquarters in Tokyo on Saturday."

"As expected, Takaichi won the first round of voting, securing of 183 of 589 votes, with Koizumi in second place with 164 votes. Three other candidates were knocked out of the contest. The runoff, in which MPs' votes were given greater weight than those of rank-and-file party members, theoretically favoured Koizumi, who was said to be more popular among lawmakers. But it was Takaichi who emerged the winner after the second, decisive round of voting."

"Takaichi, 64, inherits a party that has endured two bruising elections in the past year as voters punished it over a funding scandal and its failure to address the cost-of-living crisis. Recently, I have heard harsh voices from across the country saying we don't know what the LDP stands for any more, Takaichi said moments before the runoff vote. That sense of urgency drove me. I wanted to turn people's anxieties about their daily lives and the future into hope."

Sanae Takaichi won the Liberal Democratic Party leadership and is expected to become Japan's first female prime minister in the middle of the month. She is a 64-year-old rightwinger who has expressed admiration for Margaret Thatcher and defeated moderate Shinjiro Koizumi in a runoff. The outgoing prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, resigned after one year. Takaichi inherits a party weakened by two bruising elections, a funding scandal, and failures to address the cost-of-living crisis. She said she aims to turn public anxieties about daily life and the future into hope. The LDP-led coalition no longer holds a parliamentary majority.

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