Japan’s biggest opposition party has elected former prime minister Shinzo Abe as its leader, hoping the nationalist-minded blue-blood will be more successful in engineering a return to power than he was during his first stint leading the nation.
The election of Mr Abe, who resigned as prime minister in 2007 after a tumultuous year in office, marks a shift to the right for the Liberal Democratic party that could heighten tensions with China and South Korea.
The LDP is seen as being on course to become the largest party in the Diet’s lower house at a general election that must be held by next summer, making Mr Abe, 58, the leading contender to be Japan’s next prime minister.