Tokyo, 2 January, /AJMEDIA/
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday pledged in his New Year’s address Wednesday to tackle pressing security, economic and demographic issues through his minority government, working with opposition parties “sincerely and humbly” to ensure better lives for the public.
Ishiba, who took office in October, said a top priority will be protecting national interests amid the “severe and complex” international security environment, citing Russia’s ongoing military aggression against Ukraine and North Korea’s repeated missile launches.
Calling the declining population a “silent emergency” that is sapping Japan’s economic power, Ishiba reiterated his push to revitalize regional areas and address the excessive concentration of population and industry in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
He also promised to turn strong pay hikes and increases in investment into a growth engine for the economy, now the world’s fourth largest after Germany.
Ishiba was elected head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in his fifth bid and became prime minister on Oct 1. In the Oct 27 general election that he abruptly called, the ruling coalition lost their majority in the House of Representatives in a crushing defeat that made it inevitable to seek support from the opposition bloc to pass budgets and bills.
“Based on the coalition between the LDP and the Komeito party, I will carefully listen to the views of other parties and build consensus as much as possible,” Ishiba said. “Sincerely and humbly, we will work for the people’s safety and security.”
The 150-day regular Diet session is expected to begin later in January, during which the government will seek the passage of a state budget for fiscal 2025.
The prime minister looks set to face continuing pressure from the opposition camp for stricter rules on political funds after the underreporting among some LDP lawmakers of income from fundraising parties came to light, a scandal that partly led to the ruling coalition’s defeat in the election.
