For the first time in Japan's history.. Sanae Takaichi is close to becoming Prime Minister

In a historic precedent, Sanae Takaichi, the former Minister of Economic Security, was elected as the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Japan, paving the way for her to become the first woman to hold the position of Prime Minister in the country's history.

The results of the second round of voting showed that Takaichi received 185 votes out of 341, surpassing her competitor Shinjirō Koizumi, the son of former Prime Minister Junichirō Koizumi, who received 156 votes.

Takaichi succeeded in gaining the support of the majority of party members from all 47 prefectures of Japan, along with the backing of a large number of current parliament members.

Takaichi is expected to assume the role of Prime Minister following the anticipated resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the coming days, especially amid widespread disagreements among opposition parties that prevent them from agreeing on a unified candidate for Prime Minister, despite holding the parliamentary majority.

Takaichi, who is 64 years old, is considered one of the prominent conservative politicians in Japan and is close to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. She is known for her positions supporting the enhancement of Japan's defense capabilities and expanding its military role.

Takaichi had run for the party leadership in 2024 but lost at that time to Ishiba, before successfully achieving victory now after one year.

It is worth noting that Takaichi has been on the Russian sanctions list since May 2022, due to Tokyo's positions supporting Western sanctions against Moscow while she was serving as the head of the Liberal Democratic Party's main policy council.