TOKYO, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Shigeru Ishiba, leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was officially elected the country's prime minister on Tuesday after winning a majority of votes in both houses of parliament.

The Japanese Diet convened an extraordinary session in the afternoon to choose the new prime minister. As the ruling coalition led by the LDP controls both chambers, Ishiba received 291 of 461 votes in the House of Representatives and 143 of 242 votes in the House of Councillors.

After the special Diet session, the 67-year-old veteran politician is expected to name his new cabinet. He will later be formally inaugurated in a ceremony at the Imperial Palace and hold a press conference in the evening.

As Ishiba sets to succeed Fumio Kishida, he will face daunting challenges to lead a country with a complex array of pressing issues.

First and foremost on Ishiba's task list is to restore public trust in the LDP, whose image has been heavily tarnished by the political funds scandal involving unreported income and misuse of political funds, which led to the indictment of several lawmakers.

At a press conference last week, Ishiba vowed to give his "full effort" to rebuild trust and unity within the LDP, calling for a party that is humble, fair and transparent, where rules are followed and the public can hold leaders accountable.

On Monday, Ishiba disclosed that he plans to dissolve the lower house of the parliament on Oct. 9 and call a general election on Oct. 27, emphasizing the importance of obtaining the public's mandate as soon as possible. Enditem

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