TOKYO: The Diet, Japan’s parliament, re-elected KISHIDA Fumio, president of the Liberal Democratic Party, as prime minister on Wednesday.

Kishida, who first took office as prime minister in early October, was named to the top government post again by both chambers of the Diet at respective plenary meetings.

Also at the Lower House plenary session, former LDP Secretary-General Hiroyuki Hosoda and former trade minister Banri Kaieda of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan were elected speaker and vice speaker of the Lower House, respectively.

Kishida will become the 101st prime minister of Japan.

His first cabinet resigned en masse after a special Diet session was convened earlier on Wednesday following the Oct. 31 general election for the Lower House. Under the Constitution, a cabinet must resign en masse when the first Diet session is convened following a Lower House general election.

In the general election, the LDP won 261 of the 465 seats in the Lower House, maintaining a so-called absolute stable majority giving it firm control of the chamber. The victory allowed the LDP-led coalition to remain in power.

The second Kishida cabinet will be launched Wednesday night under the coalition between the LDP and Komeito, following an Imperial investiture ceremony for the prime minister and an attestation ceremony for the cabinet ministers at the Imperial Palace. Kishida will then hold a press conference to explain the basic policies of his new cabinet, including the compiling of an economic stimulus package to fight the COVID-19 crisis and preparations for a possible sixth wave of infections.

JIJI Press