Japan:Veteran politician Yasuo Fukuda has won control of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, making him certain to become the country's 58th prime minister when parliament reconvenes tomorrow.
The 71-year-old beat ex-foreign minister Taro Aso (67) to replace Shinzo Abe, who has been hospitalised with a mysterious illness since abruptly announcing his resignation nearly two weeks ago.
Mr Fukuda has promised to rebuild public confidence in government, shattered after 12-months of non-stop scandal during his predecessor's rule. "We are facing an extremely difficult situation," he said yesterday. "I'd like to create a government that the public can believe in."
He won nearly two-thirds of the votes in Sunday's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election, showing a clear swing away from the more hawkish policies of the Abe era. LDP domination of the more powerful lower house means Mr Fukuda, who is considered a moderate, will slip into the prime minister's chair unchallenged.
Many of Mr Fukuda's colleagues are hoping that the former chief government spokesman will lead their party back from the political brink following a July electoral mauling that saw them lose control of the upper house to the Democrats (DPJ).
Mr Fukuda is scheduled to lead Japan until September 2009, unless forced to call an election before then. But with a showdown looming over the issue that triggered Mr Abe's resignation on September 12th - support for the US-led war in Afghanistan - few political observers think the government will survive that long.
The LDP has until November 1st to extend a special anti-terrorist law allowing Japanese maritime forces to refuel US warships in the Indian Ocean.
The DPJ is against extending the law, which was passed in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Political gridlock may force a lower house general election, leaving the LDP dangerously exposed to losing power over both government chambers for the first time in half a century.
Japan's Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura promised Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the weekend that Japan would continue to back the anti-terrorist campaign in Afghanistan.
But plans to extend the law have been dealt a blow by allegations that fuel from Japanese ships was used in the Iraq war , in breach of the constitution, which forbids Japan's forces from engaging in war-related activity.