Ishiba Builds Basis of His Administration

The President of Liberal Democratic Party, Shigeru Ishiba, constructed basic framework of his administration on the day after he had been elected president. To the post of leading the party, Secretary General, he decided to appoint Hiroshi Moriyama, who has been the Chairman of General Council. He picked Itsunori Onodera for the Chairman of Policy Research Council, and Shinjiro Koizumi for the Chairman of Election Strategy Committee. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi will stay at the position. The influence of former prime minister Shinzo Abe will be removed from Ishiba administration.

Moriyama is known as a veteran lawmaker in the LDP, who has a broad connection with people in and out of the party, which was established in his days of consultation and negotiation as the chief of Diet Affairs. After the slush fund scandal, Moriyama faction became the first faction which was officially dissolved in April. Ishiba expects an experienced lawmaker to handle coming elections of both Houses of the Diet, which will be held within a year, and smooth negotiation with the opposition parties over Diet procedure.

 

One common element among Ishiba, Onodera and Hayashi is that they are former Ministers of Defense. It is likely that Onodera and Hayashi were picked because they supported Ishiba in the presidential election as a member of former Kishida faction. But the appointment of those two indicates Ishiba’s willingness for enhancement of security policies. Ishiba proposed revision of Japan-U.S. Security Treaty in his essay for the Hudson Institute.

 

Ishiba received support from Koizumi and former prime minister Yoshihide Suga in the run-off votes in the presidential election. Ishiba’s appointment of Koizumi for election strategy chief is recognized as a reward for the support, as well as expectation for Koizumi’s popularity in the public voters. Ishiba also considers to ask Suga to sit at the position of Vice-president of the LDP.

 

It is reported that Ishida offered Sanae Takaichi, who contended Ishiba in the run-off election, the chief of General Council, but Takaichi dismissed it. Known as loyal successor of Abe, Takaichi did not want accept any offer of posts, except Secretary General. Receiving Takaichi’s refusal, Ishiba would no longer offer Takaichi any post in party board or cabinet minister. It is likely that former colleagues of Abe will take distance from Ishiba administration.

 

Relying on bureaucratic skill, Ishiba is going to appoint Katsunobu Kato to Minister of Finance. Ishiba has announced that he would succeed Kishida’s economic policy to create positive cycle of growth and distribution. Kato may lead the transfer from Abenomics to neo-capitalism which Kishida upheld.

 

To maintain the relationship with LDP’s coalition partner, Komeito, which new leader, Keiichi Ishii, is an old ally of Ishiba when they were members of New Frontier Party in 1990s, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism, Tetsuya Saito, will stay.

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