Ishiba elected Japanese PM, unveils cabinet lineup
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SHIGERU Ishiba, leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was officially elected the country’s prime minister on Tuesday after winning a majority of votes in both houses of parliament.
The Japanese Diet convened an extraordinary session in the afternoon to choose the new prime minister. As the ruling coalition led by the LDP controls both chambers, 67-year-old Ishiba received 291 of 461 votes in the House of Representatives and 143 of 242 votes in the House of Councillors.
After the special Diet session, the 67-year-old veteran politician unveiled his
cabinet lineup consisting of 13 first-time appointees, two reappointments and four
returning ministers with previous cabinet experience. He will later be formally inaugurated in a ceremony at the Imperial Palace and hold a press conference in the evening to lay out his policy priorities.
In the new cabinet, former Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya became minister of
foreign affairs, while former Defence Minister Gen Nakatani once again returned to
the post. Yoshimasa Hayashi, the top government spokesman under Kishida, will
retain the post of chief cabinet secretary.
Katsunobu Kato, one of Ishiba’s competitors in the LDP race, will take the position of finance minister, while Yoji Muto will serve as minister for economy, trade, and industry. Only two women were appointed to the cabinet: Toshiko Abe as minister of education, culture, sports, science, and technology, and Junko Mihara as minister for children’s policies, reducing the number of female ministers by three compared with the Kishida cabinet. — Xinhua
Source- The Global New Light Of Myanmar
