Political Shake-Up: Japan’s Leadership Race Heats Up
Get ready for a political drama straight out of Tokyo! Japan’s ruling and opposition parties have agreed to elect a new prime minister on October 21, following outgoing leader Shigeru Ishiba’s departure. The decision came after intense negotiations between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, with an extraordinary Diet session set to kick off the same day. 📅
How the Vote Works
Here’s the tea: To become PM, LDP President Sanae Takaichi—who clinched her party’s leadership on October 4—must secure a majority in Japan’s parliament (the Diet). If the upper and lower houses disagree, the lower house’s choice wins. No majority? A runoff decides between the top two candidates—even if neither hits 50%+. Talk about high stakes! 🎲
Economic Reforms on the Horizon
If Takaichi takes the helm, she’s expected to roll out economic measures to tackle rising prices and submit a supplementary budget by early December. With global markets watching, this could mean big moves for Japan’s economy. 💸
The Diet session will run until December 17, giving the new leader just 58 days to make their mark. Will Takaichi’s policies be a hit? Stay tuned! 👀
