Shigeru Ishiba, leader of Japan's ruling party, was elected prime minister in the House of Representatives on Tuesday to succeed Fumio Kishida, at a time of low public confidence in politics, a shaky economy and mounting security threats, Paralel.Az reports citing The Mainichi.

Ishiba, who was elected president of the Liberal Democratic Party late last week, was endorsed by the ruling coalition-controlled lower house ahead of a similar vote in the House of Councillors. His confirmation sets the stage for a snap election slated for Oct. 27.

Long seen as a maverick, the 67-year-old Ishiba is likely to face a challenging start to his premiership as he seeks to restore voter trust in the scandal-hit ruling party and mend intraparty divisions that have deepened since the LDP leadership election.