After a 15-day election campaign, Japan¡¯s ruling Liberal Democratic Party has elected Shigeru Ishiba as its president. Since the ruling party holds a majority in the National Diet (parliament), Ishiba will be Japan¡¯s next prime minister.
For the 67-year-old Ishiba, long a leading rival of the late Shinzo Abe, ascending to the post is the realization of a long-held dream. But Ishiba¡¯s political star will likely soon fall ¡ª perhaps rapidly.
There are several reasons for this. For starters, Ishiba¡¯s proposal of an ¡°Asian NATO¡± is utterly unrealistic and will not withstand debate in the Diet. While Ishiba portrays himself as a security expert, he seems to lack some fundamental perspective. When this flaw becomes apparent, public support will melt away.
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