By Clint Richards
While maintaining course on policy, Abe is attempting to retain power and possibly deflect public dissatisfaction.
The debate over the makeup of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s next Cabinet is beginning to intensify, with the reshuffle planned for the first week in September. As the first reconfiguration of the Cabinet since Abe came to office, the number of changes is expected to be large, with perhaps only three members keeping their current positions out of 18, and the possibility of two new Cabinet posts. Abe must seek to satisfy both the factions within his own party and his junior coalition partner New Komeito, while also delivering on policy promises related to the change in collective self-defense, Abenomics and the possible inclusion of more women in the Cabinet. However, the question that could have the largest impact on Abe’s rule may be what to do with LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba.
At this point, government sources who spoke with the Yomiuri Shimbun have said that only Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso, and the minister in charge of economic revitalization, Akira Amari, will retain their positions, as each is in charge of ongoing tasks Abe has deemed vital to the administration. In contrast, Abe is expected to replace all three LDP Cabinet-level party officials; two of whom are women and the other is Ishiba. Replacing the two women could be problematic, as Abe has stated he wants to increase the percentage of women in leadership, both in his government and throughout Japanese society. Currently there are only 40 women among the LDP’s 410 parliamentarians, and there have been complaints from other Cabinet members that women with less experience may be assigned over men in the party who have waited at least five terms to join the government’s highest level of leadership.
Read the full story at The Diplomat