Who could replace Ishiba as premier

TOKYO: Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba 's resignation on Sunday will trigger a leadership race in his Liberal Democratic Party, with the winner facing a parliament vote to become prime minister. Since the ruling coalition has lost its majorities in both chambers of parliament, the LDP president is no longer guaranteed to become premier. There is a slim possibility an opposition party leader takes the top office. Here is a list of lawmakers who might throw their hats in the ring:

Sanae Takaichi (64), LDP: If chosen, Takaichi would be Japan's first female prime minister. A party veteran who has held a variety of roles, including economic security and internal affairs minister, she lost to Ishiba in the LDP leadership race in a run-off vote last year. Known for conservative positions such as revising the pacifist postwar constitution, Takaichi is a regular visitor to the Yasukuni shrine to honour Japan's war dead. Takaichi has opposed Bank of Japan's interest rate hikes and backed public spending to boost economy.

Shinjiro Koizumi (44), LDP: Heir to a political dynasty with a hand in governing Japan for more than a century, Koizumi would become its youngest PM in the modern era. Koizumi ran in the last year's party leadership race, presenting himself as a reformer. He has been with Ishiba as agriculture minister. In 2019, Koizumi called for Japan to get rid of nuclear reactors.

Yoshihiko Noda (68), CDP: Former PM Noda is the leader of the biggest opposition group Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. As PM from 2011 to 2012, he worked with the LDP to push through law to double consumption tax to 10% to help curb debt. The tax was raised to 10% in 2019. In the upper house election in July, he reversed course and called for a cut to the consumption tax for food items. Reuters