TOKYO: Newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Monday he will dissolve the lower house next week in preparation for Oct 31 elections as he seeks a fresh mandate to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, the sagging economy and security threats from China and North Korea.

Kishida was formally elected by parliament earlier on Monday to replace Yoshihide Suga, who resigned after only one year in office. Suga’s support had plunged over his handling of the pandemic and insistence on holding the Tokyo Olympics as the virus spread.

Our fight against the coronavirus is continuing,” Kishida told his first news conference after taking office. Covid-19 measures is the urgent and top priority, and I will handle the problem taking into consideration the worst-case scenario. He said he will review the past virus handling and seek to set up a crisis management unit.

He also pledged to push through with a large-scale recovery package to support those hit by the pandemic.

In order to take large-scale Covid-19 measures, I need to get the people’s mandate, Kishida said, adding that he will pass up attending G-20 and COP-26 climate meetings in-person.

A former foreign minister, Kishida, 64, used to be known as a moderate but turned hawkish on security and more conservative on gender equality and other issues, apparently to win over influential conservatives in his Liberal Democratic Party. His victory in last week’s vote to replace Suga as the party’s leader was seen as a choice for continuity and stability over change.

Kishida replaced all but two of Suga’s 20 Cabinet members, and 13 will hold posts for the first time, according to the lineup announced by new Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno. Most of the posts went to powerful factions that voted for Kishida in the party election. Only three women are included, up from two in Sugas government.

Veteran female lawmaker Seiko Noda, one of four candidates who vied for the party leadership, became the minister in charge of the nation’s declining birthrate and local revitalization. Another woman, Noriko Horiuchi, became vaccinations minister, replacing Taro Kono, the runner-up in the party leadership race.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi, who is former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s younger brother, were retained, ensuring continuity of Japans diplomacy and security policies as the country seeks to closely work with Washington under the bilateral security pact in the face of China’s rise and growing tensions in the region, including around Taiwan.

Kishida supports stronger Japan-US security ties and partnerships with other like-minded democracies in Asia, Europe and Britain, in part to counter China and nuclear-armed North Korea. He pledged to beef up Japan’s missile and naval defence capability.

Kishida acknowledged the importance to continue dialogue with China, an important neighbor and trade partner, but said that we must speak up against China’s attempt to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2021