TOKYO : Japan has a new prime minister - former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda.

The 71-year-old politician makes history as the first son of a former Prime Minister to assume the same post.

Mr Fukuda is the country's 91st prime minister.

His election in parliament went without a hitch as his ruling Liberal Democratic Party has a huge majority in the powerful Lower House.

But in the opposition-controlled Upper House, the Democratic Party voted for their president Ichiro Ozawa to hold the top post.

This is the first time in nine years that the Japanese Diet has delivered a split vote but the constitution gives the final word to the Lower House.

Mr Fukuda is the son of Japan's former Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda, who was in office from 1976 to 1978.

They are the first father and son duo to hold that honour.

Mr Fukuda, who is 71, graduated from Japan's prestigious Waseda University.

He worked for a petroleum firm for 17 years, before serving as his father's secretary.

The latecomer to politics successfully ran for a Lower House seat at the age of 53.

He is from the same LDP faction as former Prime Ministers Junichiro Koizumi and Yoshiro Mori, as well as outgoing leader Shinzo Abe.

So what do the Japanese people expect from his leadership?

Tsuneo Watanabe, Senior Fellow, Mitsui Global, Strategic Studies Institute, says: "People cannot expect dynamism as strong as Koizumi's era. However, I think, looking at the total political structure, (it's) almost impossible to imagine the politics going back to the old LDP politics."

"He's a stable person, but I wonder if that is enough for him to be prime minister," says one Japanese.

Among the immediate challenges for Mr Fukuda - convincing a sceptical opposition to accept the LDP's stance on several issues.

One of the major tasks for the new government, is to extend the Self Defence Forces operation in the Indian Ocean in the US-led fights against terrorism.

For that, it needs public support.

Professor Satoshi Morimoto, Political Science Department, Takushoku University, says: "If this new administration manages to pass through anti-terrorism legislation and the budget for the next fiscal year by the end of next March, then I think it will be a relatively stable and long standing administration."

But if the new cabinet remains at odds with the powerful opposition camp, there could well be many more stormy days ahead in Japan's political arena. - CNA/ch