Japanese lawmakers voted to keep Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in office despite his coalition losing its lower house majority in last month’s election, Reuters reports.
The vote in parliament went to a runoff for the first time in 30 years, with Ishiba winning 221 votes in the 465-seat lower house, defeating his main challenger, former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. Ishiba, who took office on October 1, will lead a minority government, needing support from smaller opposition parties to pass legislation. Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito, won the most seats but lost the majority it had held since 2012.
Ishiba is tasked with preparing a supplementary budget to increase welfare spending and address rising living costs. He is also set to attend a G20 summit in Brazil in November, where he hopes to meet US President Donald Trump, as concerns grow that Trump may again impose protectionist trade measures or demand Japan to pay more for US military presence.
