Veteran, new role

• Shigeru Ishiba, former Defence Minister, has been selected as the new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) amid scandals and turmoil.
• Ishiba will also take on the role of Prime Minister, as the LDP holds a majority in Parliament.
• The ruling party has seen internal conflicts and corruption, leading to a plunge in its approval ratings.
• Ishiba has promised to clean up the party, bolster the economy, and address national security challenges.
• Born on February 5, 1957, in Tottori prefecture, Ishiba graduated in 1979 with a law degree from Keio University and joined Mitsui Bank.
• He has been a member of the LDP for most of his political career, with a four-year stint in an Opposition party from 1993 to 1997.
• Ishiba is considered an “intellectual heavyweight” in the party, viewed as an expert on national security policy.
• He has proposed changes in governance, such as moving some Ministries out of Tokyo and proposing a new agency to oversee the construction of emergency shelters across the country.
• Ishiba has softened his stance on the increased use of nuclear energy and advocated for renewable energy.
• The LDP, formed in 1955, has faced public wrath for its association with the Unification Church and allegations of under-reporting of political funding.