Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi on Saturday was elected the first female president of the Liberal Democratic Party ¡ª and is almost sure to become the country¡¯s first female prime minister ¡ª after defeating farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi in a runoff.
Takaichi earned 185 votes against Koizumi¡¯s 156 in a runoff after none of the five candidates in the party leadership race secured a majority in the first round of voting.
Takaichi gained 149 lawmaker votes and 36 LDP chapter votes, topping Koizumi¡¯s 145 votes from lawmakers and 11 from the prefectural chapters. It was her third bid for the party leadership.
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