MPs vote to keep embattled Ishiba as PM

MPs vote to keep embattled Ishiba as PM

TOKYO
MPs vote to keep embattled Ishiba as PM

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.