Japan's main ruling party chose Taro Aso, an advocate of government spending and tax cuts to boost the economy. (Yoshikazu Tsung/AFP/Getty Images)
TOKYO—Japan's main ruling party chose Taro Aso, an advocate of government spending and tax cuts to boost the economy, by a landslide to be next prime minister on Monday, ahead of an election expected in the next few months.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected outspoken nationalist Aso, 68, as its leader to replace outgoing Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who quit this month over a deadlocked parliament.
Aso, who is virtually assured the premiership in a parliamentary vote on Wednesday because of the LDP's majority in parliament's lower house, is widely expected to call a snap election for the powerful chamber to take advantage of a hoped-for bounce in public support rates.
