New Japanese premier appoints continuity cabinet
TOKYO (DPA), 4
O C T, 2021 - Japan’s former foreign minister, Fumio Kishida, was elected on Monday as the new head of government of the world’s third-largest economy.
The lower house of parliament approved the 64-year-old conservative to succeed Yoshihide
Suga as prime minister, backed by a majority of votes from the governing coalition parties.kishida,who was foreign minister for many years under former right-wing conservative prime minister Shinzo Abe, filled his cabinet with new faces as he replaced all except Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi.
He appointed Shunichi Suzuki as finance minister, handing the role to the second largest faction within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Critics view his cabinet - which includes just three women - as a sign of continuity rather than a fresh departure,however.the stock market reacted with falling prices.according to Japanese media reports, Kishida wants to bring forward parliamentary elections to as early as October 31, in an apparent attempt to capitalize on both the higher approval ratings often enjoyed by new governments and a recent improvement in the coronavirus situation.