Japan’s parliament began voting on Tuesday to confirm Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister, a watershed moment in national politics after months of turmoil inside the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). 

A coalition deal with the right-wing Japan Innovation Party (JIP) has left Takaichi within touching distance of a majority in the Diet. 

Takaichi, 64, a conservative protégé of the late Shinzo Abe and a self-professed admirer of Margaret Thatcher, took the LDP leadership this month following the resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. 

If elected by lawmakers, she would be Japan’s fifth premier in five years. 

Her expected confirmation caps frantic negotiations after the LDP’s split with longtime ally Komeito. While JIP will not enter the cabinet, it has pledged parliamentary support, positioning Takaichi to steer a minority-leaning administration through a fragmented legislature. 

Takaichi faces immediate challenges: reviving a sluggish economy, managing tense party dynamics after funding scandals, and navigating key alliances abroad. Markets rallied on expectations of fiscal stimulus as the coalition took shape, underscoring investor hopes for policy stability. 

Lawmakers were holding parallel ballots in both chambers on Tuesday, with Takaichi widely expected to prevail. Local media and wire services carried live updates as the historic vote got under way in Tokyo. 

Source: BBC

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