The lower house of Japan's parliament, the Diet, has elected Taro Aso as the country's new prime minister.
He will be Japan's third leader in just two years, and replaces Yasuo Fukuda, who resigned earlier this month.
Mr Aso's nomination as prime minister now goes to Japan's upper house before it is officially confirmed.
The upper house is controlled by the opposition, but Mr Aso's appointment is not in doubt as the lower house can overrule the upper when they disagree.
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The loss of control of the upper house last year has made it hard for the governing Liberal Democratic Party to push its policies through parliament.
Mr Aso has made it clear he wants to try to change this, and plans to call an early general election.
So although he will begin appointing a new cabinet later on Wednesday, few expect the new ministers to be in post for long.
Our correspondent says this will be an administration that feels it has no choice but to dissolve itself, perhaps within weeks, to seek a new mandate to govern.
(BBC)
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