Ex-Foreign Minister Kishida to become next Japan PM after party vote

TOKYO, Sept. 29 Kyodo - Former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election Wednesday in a runoff against vaccination minister Taro Kono, making him all but certain to become Japan's next prime minister. Among 427 valid votes, Kishida secured 257, defeating Kono, who garnered 170, after the first round of voting did not produce a decisive winner to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Two female candidates, Sanae Takaichi, a former minister of internal affairs and communications, and Seiko Noda, the LDP's executive acting secretary general, lost out in the four-way race earlier in the day. Since the LDP-led coalition holds a majority in both chambers of parliament, whoever is elected as party president is poised to be elected prime minister at an extraordinary Diet session that starts Monday. Speaking in a meeting of LDP lawmakers, Kishida called for unity as he leads the party into a general election slated for November and next year's election of the upper House of Councillors. Kishida said his administration must craft a multitrillion yen stimulus package by the end of the year to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy. In the first round, involving 762 votes, Kishida, the most popular among Diet members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, won 256 votes, while Kono, the favorite among the rank-and-file LDP members, secured 255 votes. Takaichi and Noda got 188 and 63 votes, respectively. Kishida, who heads the LDP's liberal-leaning faction, gained the backing of many veteran lawmakers in what became his second bid for the party presidency. He lost out to Suga in the previous race last year. Factional alliances did not play a decisive role in the first round as most allowed their members to make independent choices. The election came after Suga announced earlier this month that he was stepping down. His successor will be tasked with leading the ruling party, which is struggling to shore up an economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, while also assuring the public they have leadership skills and accountability, qualities judged to be lacking in Suga. Kishida has pledged to shift from the neoliberal policies of previous administrations and make sure ordinary people can enjoy the benefits of growth, but some view him as lacking broader public appeal. Kono, seen as a reformist who has frequently topped media opinion polls on who is most fit to be prime minister, attracted support from relatively young LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file party members. He has promised to reform Japan's pension system and promote digitalization but was seen by some as having backed away from his previous stance of breaking free from nuclear power generation. Takaichi was backed by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in campaigning and regularly visits the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, where convicted war criminals and war dead are enshrined. In addition, she had the support of hawkish nationalists within the LDP. She named her policy mix "Sanaenomics," focusing on bold monetary easing and investment in crisis management and growth areas. Noda, who is known as a liberal in the conservative party, struggled to attract support within the party beyond the 20 lawmakers who gave her the prerequisite endorsement needed to run in the election. She placed priority on care for the vulnerable, such as children and people with disabilities. ==Kyodo