Japan elects new prime minister loyal to predecessor Shinzo Abe
● Yoshihide Suga takes on top role and brings fresh faces into cabinet
Japan’s parliament has elected Yoshihide Suga as prime minister, replacing long-serving leader Shinzo Abe with his right-hand man.
Keeping his usual straight face, Mr Suga bowed deeply several times when the results were announced as his fellow ruling party MPS applauded in parliament’s lower house – the more powerful of the two chambers–where he has a seat. He was also confirmed in the upper house.
Mr Suga, who was chief cabinet secretary and the top government spokesman under Mr Abe, selected a cabinet that is a mix of fresh faces and existing or former ministers. They held their first meeting late yesterday.
Mr Suga has stressed his background as a farmer’s son and a self-made politician in promising to serve the interests of ordinary people and rural communities. He has said he would pursue Mr Abe’s unfinished policies and that his priorities would be fighting the coronavirus and turning around an economy battered by the pandemic.
Mr Abe said before the change was official that, as an M P, he would support Mr Suga’s government. He thanked the people for their understanding and their strong support for Mr Suga.
“I devoted my body and soul for the economic recovery and diplomacy to protect Japan’s national interest every single day since we returned to power,” Mr Abe told reporters at the prime minister’ s office before heading into his final cabinet meeting. “During this time, I was able to tackle various challenges together with the people, and I’m proud of myself.”
In a brief farewell ceremony, Mr Abe was presented with a bouquet by the prime minister’s office staff and Mr Suga joined the line up and applauded until he disappeared into his car. Mr Abe, 65, said last month he was resigning because his treatment for ulcerative colitis would be ongoing and cause physical weakness.
Mr Suga was a loyal supporter from Mr Abe’s first stint as prime minister from 2006 to 2007 and helped him return to the job in 2012.
He gained early support from party heavyweights on expectations he would continue Mr Abe’s line.
Mr Suga, 71, praised Abe’ s diplomacy and economic policies when asked what he would like to accomplish himself. He said he would set up a new government agency to speed up Japan’s lagging digital transformation.
In reshuffling key posts with the party, Mr Suga evenly allocated top posts to key factions, a balancing act seen as returning the favour for their sup - port in the leadership race.
He said he would app oint “reform-minded, hard-working people” to the new cabinet. Fifteen of the 20 expected posts are new. Eleven members in the last Abe administration are to be retained or shifted to different ministe - rial posts and had served one of Mr Abe’s cabinets. Finance minister Taro A so, foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto and environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, were retained.
Mr Suga picked Katsunobu Kato, a former health minister and finance official, to succeed him as chief cabinet secretary. Mr Abe’ s younger brother, Nobuo Kishi, who has close ties with Taiwan, was appointed defence minister, replacing Taro Kono who was shifted to administrative reforms minister.
Ms Has hi mo to and Yoko Kamikawa are the only cabinet ministers who are women.
Ms Kamikawa, as justice minister in 2018, ordered the executions of 13 Aum Shinrikyo cultists for the 1995 gas attacks of Tokyo subways.
Compared to his political prowess at home, Mr Suga has hardly travelled overseas and his diplomatic skills are unknown.