The ruling Liberal Democratic Party chose Taro Aso as its 23rd president Monday, hoping to regain public popularity and win the next general election.
Aso was handed a landslide victory, collecting 351 out of 527 votes cast by LDP Diet members and party prefectural chapters. Finishing second was economic and fiscal policy minister Kaoru Yosano with 66 votes, followed by the first female candidate, Yuriko Koike, with 46.
Former policy chief Nobuteru Ishihara got 37 votes, while former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba collected 25.
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