Former Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been elected as the new head of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), putting him in position to become the country's next prime minister. Ishiba will take office next Monday, after a formal parliamentary vote, reported the Associated Press. 

According to the report, the LDP, which has a majority in parliament, ensures that its leader is inevitably appointed prime minister. Ishiba, a defence policy expert, has advocated for an Asian NATO and a more balanced Japan-US security alliance. He is also an outspoken advocate of Taiwan's democracy and has recommended establishing a disaster management agency in Japan, which is one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.