Japan’s Parliament elects former diplomat Kishida as new PM

Japan’s parliament on Monday elected Fumio Kishida, a former moderate turned hawk, as prime minister. He’ll face an economy battered by the pandemic, security threats from China and North Korea and leadership of a political party whose popularity is sagging ahead of a fast-approaching crucial national election.

With his party and its coalition partner holding a majority in both houses, Kishida won by a comfortable margin against Yukio Edano, head of the largest opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Kishida and his new Cabinet will be sworn in at a palace ceremony later in the day.

He replaces Yoshihide Suga, who resigned after only one year in office as his support plunged over his government’s handling of the pandemic and insistence on holding the Tokyo Olympics as the virus spread.

Kishida is expected to make a policy speech in Parliament on Friday but is looking to dissolve the lower house to hold elections on October 31, Japanese media reported. Observers see the early date as a move to take advantage of his government’’s fresh image to rally support.

Jun Azumi, senior Constitutional Democratic Party lawmaker, criticized Kishida over his plan to dissolve the lower house in just over a week. “It’’s like a delicatessen that forces customers to buy without a chance to try samples.” A former foreign minister, Kishida, 64, used to be known as a moderate but turned hawkish on security.