Fumio Kishida elected as new leader of Japan's ruling LDP, set to be next PM
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Kishida, 64, had promised an aggressive policy to beat the virus which has plagued the country. Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party will go to the polls in November.
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected ex-foreign minister Fumio Kishida as their new leader on Wednesday.
Kishida beat his rival Taro Kono in a close race. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had earlier decided to step down from office.
Two woman candidates Sanae Takaichi and Seiko Noda had dropped out of the race. The country is set to go to the polls later this year.
Kishida, 64, is widely known as a consensus builder. The former banker will have to address the economic problems in the country after it suffered due to the pandemic. Kishida has reportedly proposed a spending package to boost the economy.
The new LDP leader had promised a more aggressive policy to beat the virus and proposed mass vaccination for citizens. Kishida had said the country needed to produce oral drugs and that the government needs to speed up efforts to overcome the virus.
"I want us to move toward and achieve the target of bringing our socio-economic activity back to near normalcy at the start of next year," Kishida asserted.
Kishida toughest test however is likely to be in the elections set to be held in November.
(With inputs from Agencies)