Abe keeps ‘firm foundation’ as key ministers retain cabinet posts
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe retained key ministers in a Cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday in the hope of maintaining the “firm foundation” as he pushes for his long-cherished goal of revising Japan’s pacifist Constitution.
Abe kept Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, who doubles as finance minister. These are the lawmakers Abe described as the “firm foundation” of his cabinet.
Still, the Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko and Economic Revitalization Minister Toshimitsu Motegi have kept their jobs. Abe also let Keiichi Ishii from the Komeito party, the LDP’s junior coalition partner, stay as land, infrastructure, transport and tourism minister.
With these key ministers in place, Abe wants to keep his trade and foreign policy on course.
Twelve new faces made it to the 19-member Abe cabinet — the largest number of the firsttime ministers since Abe returned to power in 2012. Among the first-timers are Takeshi Iwaya as new defense minister and Masahiko Shibayama, who serves as a special adviser to Abe in the LDP, as education, culture, sports, science and technology minister.
Abe picked these new faces from different LDP factions in an effort to win wide support and solidify his power base.
Japan’s business heavyweights welcomed the fourth cabinet reshuffle Abe has carried out since 2012 in the anticipation of economic growth, fiscal reconstruction and regional revitalization.
Strong start
Abe also changed the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership lineup on Tuesday. While retaining SecretaryGeneral Toshihiro Nikai and policy chief Fumio Kishida, Abe appointed Hakubun Shimomura, one of his close aides, as head of the party’s panel promoting constitutional revision.
At the news conference after the reshuffles, Abe said he did these to make a strong start to build a new nation.
Abe is gearing up for a series of local elections and the Upper House election in 2019 and pushing for constitutional amendment.
Shortly after being appointed chairman of the LDP’s decision-making General Council, Katsunobu Kato said the party’s constitutional reform promotion headquarters is “calling for discussion” and that “such discussions will be deepened based on the prime minister’s orders”.
A constitutional amendment requires the approval of the LDP General Council.
Abe has been seeking to add one paragraph clarifying the status of Japan’s quasi-army, the Self-Defense Forces, to the Constitution’s war-renouncing Article 9. He has been urging the LDP to submit its proposals to the next extraordinary session of parliament to be convened later this month.