Japanese PM reshuffles Cabinet

Cabinet Friday in a bid to bolster support rate ahead of next House of Four Cabinet members, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura, Foreign Minister Komura and Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe retained their posts. Machimura announced the lineup of the ... ...Cabinet in the evening at a press conference held at the prime minister's official To better deal with economic issues at a time when rocketing crude oil prices pose significant challenges, Fukuda appointed several heavyweights of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to important posts related to financial and economic policies. LDP General Council Chairman and former Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshihiro Nikai was reappointed to the post in the charge of economic and fiscal policy. Besides, former LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Sadakazu Tanigaki was named land, infrastructure, transport and tourism The attestation ceremony for the new Cabinet will be held Saturday morning at the Imperial Palace. Fukuda made clear his decision to reshuffle the Cabinet during a meeting earlier in the day with Akihiro Ota, leader of the LDP's minor coalition partner the New Komeito party. The Cabinet reshuffle was the first for Fukuda since he took office and inherited most of the Cabinet last September from Shinzo Abe, who resigned out of physical reasons. Prior to the Cabinet reshuffle, Fukuda change the leadership of the LDP in the afternoon.reappointed secretary general and No. 2 powerful of the party. Japanese media said the choice of Aso, who is especially welcomed by the younger generation, was aimed at improving the popularity of the LDP. Calls within the ruling coalition for Fukuda to form a Cabinet reflecting his own political stance have been mounting since earlier this month as the approval rating for the prime minister remained low around the dangerous level of 30 percent even after he successfully chaired the Group of Eight summit from July 7 to 9.ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Yasuo Fukuda made adjustment to the leadership of the LDP Friday afternoon prior to the Cabinet reshuffle later Former Foreign Minister Taro Aso was appointed secretary general of the party.appointed General Council chairman.named chairman of the Policy Research Council.chairman of the Election Strategy Council.

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