Liberal Democratic Party President Yoshihide Suga is planning to appoint Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Katsunobu Kato as chief cabinet secretary after his almost-certain appointment as prime minister is confirmed in the Diet on Wednesday, it has been learned.
Kato, 64, who has been tackling the novel coronavirus pandemic in his role as health minister, has also served as deputy chief cabinet secretary under Suga for nearly three years.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso, 79, who played a major role in the outgoing Abe administration, is also expected to retain his posts.
Aso, like Suga, has supported the outgoing prime minister in his administration since 2012. It is believed that Suga thought it necessary to retain Aso in his posts to continue the course of Abe's administration and enable stable management of the cabinet.
Also expected to retain their posts are Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, 64; Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Kazuyoshi Akaba, 62, of LDP's junior coalition partner Komeito; National Public Safety Commission Chairperson Ryota Takeda, 52; and Seiko Hashimoto, 55, the minister in charge of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Former health minister Norihisa Tamura, 55, of the Ishiba faction is a strong candidate to replace Kato as the health minister, while former Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa, 67, of the Kishida faction is thought to be in the running for a return to the cabinet.
Lower house members Katsuei Hirasawa, 75, of the Nikai faction and Tetsushi Sakamoto, 69, of the Ishihara faction are being eyed for their first cabinet posts, according to sources.
Suga is almost certain to be named prime minister during an extraordinary Diet session to be convened Wednesday and form a new cabinet on the same day.
Meanwhile, LDP executives were appointed at the party's extraordinary General Council meeting on Tuesday.
Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai, 81, retained his post, while former Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Tsutomu Sato, 68, of the Aso faction, was appointed general council chairperson.
Election Strategy Committee Chairperson Hakubun Shimomura, 66, of the Hosoda faction was appointed chairperson of the policy research council; Party Organization and Campaign Headquarters Chairperson Taimei Yamaguchi, 71, of the Takeshita faction was appointed election strategy committee chairperson; and Diet Affairs Committee Chairperson Hiroshi Moriyama, 75, of the Ishihara faction retained his post.
The five major party executives are from the five factions that supported Suga in the party presidential race.
Former Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, 60, replaces Yamaguchi as chairperson of the party organization and campaign headquarters. The former minister in charge of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Tamayo Marukawa, 49, was appointed chairperson of the public relations headquarters.
Former Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Seiko Noda, 60, was appointed executive acting secretary general, while Nikai's close aide Motoo Hayashi, 73, retained his post as acting secretary general.
Suga is also expected to retain Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiro Sugita, 79, and Secretary General of the National Security Secretariat Shigeru Kitamura, 63.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
