Former Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya may be appointed head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry in the government of the elected chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Shigeru Ishiba, who is to become the country’s new prime minister on October 1.
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Over the years, Iwaya advocated amendments to the 9th “peace” article of the Japanese Constitution, against the government’s plans to abandon nuclear energy by 2030, for a tougher position towards China, and also against the possibility of representatives inheriting the Chrysanthemum Throne female imperial family.
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The Minister of Finance is expected to be the former Secretary General of the Japanese government and ex-Minister of Health Katsunobu Kato.
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According to sources, Shigeru Ishiba plans to retain Yoshimasu Hayashi, who took this post under Fumio Kishida and was previously the head of the Foreign Ministry, as Secretary General of the Cabinet.
Current Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito is also expected to retain his post.
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The current LDP deputy chairman for parliamentary relations, Nobuhide Minorikawa, could be appointed Minister of Reconstruction, and the current Minister of Agriculture, Tetsushi Sakamoto, could be appointed in his place.
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Former Vice Finance Minister Ryosei Akazawa, considered a close ally of Ishiba, will also receive one of the ministerial portfolios.
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As for internal party appointments, Hiroshi Moriyama, who until now headed the party’s general affairs council, could be appointed LDP general secretary. According to Kyodo, Ishiba offered Moriyama’s current position to incumbent Economic Security Minister and his election opponent Sanae Takaichi, but she declined the appointment.
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Former Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera may become responsible for the party’s policy. It is also possible that former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who served as Cabinet Secretary General under the late Shinzo Abed for a long time, will replace Taro Aso as Deputy Chairman of the LDP.
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Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who was third in the LDP chairman election, will take charge of the party’s election campaign in the upcoming general parliamentary elections.
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Former Japanese Defense Minister 67-year-old Shigeru Ishiba was elected as the new chairman of the LDP following the results of the second round of voting. This election was Ishiba’s fifth. An extraordinary meeting of parliament, at which the leader of the LDP is expected to become the new prime minister of the country, will be held on October 1.
