Japan’s Ishiba picks continuity for cabinet, eyes October 27 snap election
Ishiba’s choices for finance, defence, and foreign minister, as well as the pivotal post of chief cabinet secretary, draw on party veterans
His picks for finance, defence and foreign minister, as well as the pivotal post of chief cabinet secretary, appear to draw on seasoned veterans from his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, as he prepares to form a government on Tuesday.
Ishiba, 67, won the LDP leadership race on Friday, clinching a run-off win after a contest among a large field of an unprecedented nine candidates.
In a televised interview on Sunday, Ishiba did not detail his cabinet plans but suggested he was willing to consider a snap election in the near future, perhaps as early as October. An election must be called within the next 13 months.
The Tokyo Shimbun daily later reported that Ishiba would dissolve the lower house of parliament on October 9, with an election set for October 27, citing LDP sources. Ishiba told reporters on Monday “if conditions allow, I hope to call a snap election, to hold a general election on October 27” .
For his cabinet, Ishiba is set to name former Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato as finance minister and bring Gen Nakatani back as defence minister.
