MPs vote to keep embattled Ishiba as PM

TOKYO

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba kept his job in a parliamentary vote on Sunday, despite having led the ruling coalition to its worst general election result in 15 years.

Lawmakers appointed former Defense Minister Ishiba head of a minority government, meaning he may face political gridlock, or need to compromise to pass new bills.

Ishiba took office six weeks ago and held a snap election on Oct. 27, hoping to shore up his mandate as leader of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

But voters, unhappy with inflation and a slush fund scandal that helped sink his predecessor Fumio Kishida, delivered a ballot-box blow to the LDP and its junior coalition partner.

MPs in parliament's powerful lower house convened yesterday for a special four-day session to nominate the prime minister, a necessary step after a general election.

Japan's opposition parties are divided on key issues, stopping them mounting a credible challenge to Ishiba.

In a run-off, the first since 1994, Ishiba won 221 votes against 160 for Yoshihiko Noda, head of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP). Eighty-four votes were discounted because they named other politicians.

Despite losing its majority in the October election, the LDP coalition remains the largest bloc in the 465-seat lower house.

To have enough sway to pass legislation going forward, the ruling bloc has asked for help from the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), a small centrist group.

The DPP has agreed to cooperate on a vote-by-vote basis while staying out of the coalition.