TOKYO - Shigeru Ishiba was reelected as Japan’s 103rd Prime Minister on Monday in a runoff election in the House of Representatives, obtaining 221 votes.

Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, followed with 160 votes. A total of 84 invalid votes were counted.

In the first round of the election, Ishiba and Noda received 221 and 151 votes, respectively, with other candidates trailing. As no candidate surpassed the majority threshold of 233 votes, the election proceeded to a runoff.

On Monday morning, Ishiba’s cabinet resigned in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of Japan. Resignation may occur when a prime minister voluntarily resigns his or her position or when the Diet is convened for the first time after a lower house election. Ishiba is expected to inaugurate his second Cabinet following his nomination as prime minister and the investiture ceremony at the Imperial Palace.

At the plenary session of Japan’s lower house on Monday, Fukushiro Nukaga, former speaker of the House of Representatives from the Liberal Democratic Party, was reelected speaker of the House. This was followed by the election of Koichiro Gemba, former minister of foreign affairs from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, as the new vice-speaker.

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Also on Monday, Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, admitted to an extramarital affair reported by a tabloid magazine the same day and offered an apology.

The online edition of Flash weekly magazine reported that Tamaki was seen entering hotels in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, alongside a local tourism ambassador. Tamaki acknowledged that the report was largely accurate.

“I sincerely apologize not only to my family but also to those who have placed their hopes in me,” he said at a press conference. Tamaki also expressed his commitment to remaining as party leader to pursue his policy goals. 

Last month, the DPP increased its seats in the House of Representatives from seven to 28. Since then, the LDP-Komeito coalition has been in discussions with the DPP, seeking its cooperation in managing future proceedings in the Diet, Japan’s national legislature.

jiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn