Yuriko Koike was Japan's longest serving, youngest post war and first woman prime minister. She was also the most electorally successful Japanese politician ever, winning three landslide election victories. After being elected to the Assembly just days after her 40th birthday she served constantly in cabinet posts throughout her congressional career. In 1999 she was elected leader of the Democratic Party, and became prime minister. Her government gave unwavering support to Free Market Capitalism, ecological responsibility, anti-Communism and privatisation.