Japan's parliament elected Shigeru Ishiba, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), as the country’s new prime minister on Tuesday, following the resignation of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier in the day.

Ishiba, who was chosen as the LDP leader last Friday, officially took over after Kishida stepped down to pave the way for new leadership. During the parliamentary session, Ishiba stood and bowed as he was nominated in the lower house, before heading to the Prime Minister’s Office to finalize his new Cabinet, which will be announced later in the day.

Kishida, who took office in 2021, resigned amid scandals that plagued his administration. Ishiba, in his first remarks, expressed his intention to call a snap election on October 27, aiming to seek public approval for his administration. He is expected to dissolve parliament on October 9 to begin the election campaign.

"I believe it is important for the new administration to gain the public's judgment as soon as possible," Ishiba stated on Monday, signaling his desire to swiftly move forward with an election.

The decision to call for an early election drew criticism from opposition parties, who accused Ishiba of rushing the process without allowing adequate time for his policies to be debated in parliament. Opposition protests delayed the parliamentary vote by half an hour, hinting at a potentially challenging start to Ishiba’s premiership. (ILKHA)