UPDATE - Ex-defense chief Ishiba set to become Japan’s new premier next week

UPDATES WITH DATE OF ELECTION OF PRIME MINISTER, CHANGES HEADLINE

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - A former Japanese defense minister on Friday won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) leadership race and is set next week to become the country’s 102nd prime minister.

Shigeru Ishiba, 67, defeated Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and will succeed Fumio Kishida, the outgoing prime minister.

Kishida announced in August that he was stepping down.

The leadership race went to a runoff after none of the record nine candidates were able to win a majority in the first phase.

Takaichi was one of two women candidates in the race, along with Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko.

Japan has yet to have a woman prime minister.

The LDP has a majority in the Diet, or parliament, along with its junior partner, the Komeito Party.​​​​​​​

To elect Ishiba, Japanese lawmakers will convene next Tuesday, Oct. 1, the date Kishida will officially step down.

After winning the party leadership race, the incoming premier pledged to accelerate real wage growth and boost consumer spending.

Directing his party to prepare a supplementary budget, Ishiba said: "Reversing the population drop will not be easy. The core issue is the decreasing number of mothers. We will shine a spotlight on people who want to get married but face difficulties."

"We will work hard to protect local areas to further develop" the capital and other regions, said Ishiba, who previously served as Japan's first regional revitalization minister.