Abe to make Japan a stronger force

NATIONALIST candidate Shinzo Abe won the race for Japan’s ruling party leader yesterday, all but clinching election next week as prime minister and pledging to make his country a more robust force on the world stage.

The son of a foreign minister and grandson of a prime minister, Mr Abe trounced his two opponents, winning 464 of the 702 votes counted in the Liberal Democratic Party election.

The youthful conservative — he turns 52 today — immediately vowed to push ahead with economic reforms, make Tokyo a world leader, strengthen the prime minister’s office and keep Japan in the international fight against terrorism.