Shigeru Ishiba, the newly elected Prime Minister of Japan, is forming a cabinet focused on defense

TOKYO – Japan’s parliament elected Shigeru Ishiba as its new prime minister on Tuesday, tasked with dealing with public outrage over corruption scandals in his ruling party ahead of general elections later this month, while also trying to boost the economy and address security challenges from sides of China and North Korea.

Ishiba replaces Fumio Kishida, who stepped down earlier Tuesday to pave the way for a new leader after scandals that plagued Kishida’s government.

Ishiba joined the Prime Minister’s Office and formed his cabinet, which includes several security and defense experts, calling for a stronger regional military alliance and a more equal security partnership between Japan and the US.

On Tuesday, Ishiba will hold a press conference during which he will announce the composition of the government and some of his political priorities.

Ishiba said he plans to call parliamentary elections for Oct. 27 so that his new administration can get “the judgment of the public” as quickly as possible.

Ishiba appointed two former defense ministers with whom he worked closely to his cabinet – Takeshi Iwaya as foreign minister and Gen. Nakatani as defense chief – underscoring his emphasis on defense and security policy.

Only two of the 19 ministers are women: actress-turned-lawyer Junko Mihara as minister of child policy and Toshiko Abe as education minister. The government is under pressure to increase the number of women in public positions. Women currently make up just 10% of the lower house, putting Japan at the bottom of global gender equality rankings.

Ishiba appointed several ministers who voted for him in a party leadership poll and retained Kishida’s chief confidant Yoshimasa Hayashi as principal cabinet secretary. He also appointed Katsunobu Kato as Minister of Finance. Hayashi also previously served as defense minister.

Most of his cabinet members, including Ishiba, are not affiliated with factions led and controlled by top party leaders, and none of them are part of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s influential group linked to damaging scandals.

Ishiba’s lack of a stable power base could also mean his government will be fragile and “could collapse quickly,” even though Ishiba hopes to build party unity in preparation for upcoming elections, the liberal Asahi newspaper said.

The move is also seen as revenge for Ishiba, who was largely sidelined for much of Abe’s reign.

Ishiba announced his party leaders on Monday ahead of appointing his cabinet. Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who finished third in the party leadership race, will head the party’s election task force.

“I will face people and discuss politics honestly to gain their understanding. My government will not run away from challenges and will not finish its affairs,” Ishiba said before the vote in parliament.

Opposition leaders criticized Ishiba for announcing such a plan before he became leader and allowing just a few days for his policies to be examined and discussed in parliament before national elections. On Tuesday, parliament adopted a agenda until Oct. 9, when Ishiba is expected to dissolve the lower house ahead of a vote scheduled for Oct. 27.

Opposition protests delayed the start of parliamentary voting by about half an hour, signaling a rocky start for Ishiba.

In August, Kishida announced he would resign at the end of his three-year term to pave the way for a new leader ahead of the next national elections amid corruption scandals plaguing his party and government.

On Tuesday, Kishida and his ministers resigned at a cabinet meeting. Kishida left his office after a short farewell ceremony during which he was presented with a bouquet of red roses and applauded by his staff and former cabinet members.

“Facing a critical moment at home and abroad, I sincerely hope that the new cabinet will vigorously pursue the key policies that will determine Japan’s future,” Kishida said in a statement.

Ishiba proposed an Asian version of the NATO military alliance and further discussion among regional partners on the use of US nuclear deterrence. He also suggested a more equal Japan-U.S. security alliance, including joint management of U.S. bases in Japan and having Japan Self-Defense Forces bases in the United States.

Ishiba outlined his views last week in an article for the Hudson Institute.

Ishiba proposes combining existing security and diplomatic groupings such as the Quad and other bilateral and multilateral structures including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and the Philippines.

He noted that an Asian version of NATO could also consider sharing control of U.S. nuclear weapons in the region as a deterrent against growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia.

He pledged to continue Kishida’s economic policies aimed at pulling Japan out of deflation and achieving real wage growth, while also addressing challenges such as Japan’s declining birth rate and population and Japan’s resilience to natural disasters.

The LDP has ruled Japan almost continuously since World War II. Party members may have seen Ishiba’s more centrist views as crucial in fending off challenges from the liberal opposition and winning voter support in the face of corruption scandals that had lowered Kishida’s popularity.

Ishiba, first elected to parliament in 1986, has served as defense minister, agriculture minister and other key government positions, and was secretary general of the LDP under Abe.