Japan's Prime Minister and leader of ruling Liberal Democratic Party Fumio Kishida (2nd-R) is applauded after being re-elected in Parliament, in Tokyo on Wednesday. Photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
Fumio Kishida was re-elected as Japan's prime minister Wednesday in a parliamentary session after his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won a majority in the House of Representatives election, per AP.
Why it matters: The 261 seats the LDP won in the 465-member lower house at the Oct. 31 election puts Kishida in a more powerful position, as he prepares to protect Japan from a potential COVID-19 resurgence while trying to revive the world's third-largest economy and working with the U.S. and other allies to address security threats.
The big picture: The election was held soon after Kishida replaced former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who resigned in September after a year in office.
- Kishida was elected on the promise of a "new capitalism" that's focused on economic growth and wealth redistribution, Kyodo News reports.
- He's spoken with President Biden over the phone as he seeks to move toward a "free and open Indo-Pacific region," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said, per Kyodo News.