Ishiba likely to stay on as prime minister, forming his 2nd Cabinet

Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru appears on course to be re-elected during a special Diet session that will be convened on Monday, following last month’s Lower House election.

Members of both chambers of the Diet will be deciding on the next prime minister.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, Komeito, lost their Lower House majority in the general election.

As a consequence, it is expected to go to a runoff between LDP President Ishiba and the president of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Noda Yoshihiko. It would be the first runoff in the Lower House in 30 years.

Ishiba will likely emerge victorious, as opposition parties have failed to concentrate their support behind one candidate.

Ishiba is expected to decide the lineup of his new Cabinet as soon as he is re-elected.

He is planning to appoint Suzuki Keisuke as justice minister, and Eto Taku as agriculture minister. The incumbent ministers lost their seats in last month’s election.

Ishiba is considering tapping Komeito lawmaker Nakano Hiromasa to succeed outgoing land minister Saito Tetsuo, who became the chief representative of Komeito.

Ishiba is expected to reappoint other Cabinet ministers.

The Emperor will ceremonially endorse Ishiba and his chosen Cabinet at the Imperial Palace later in the day.

After the ceremony, Ishiba is expected to launch his new Cabinet and hold a news conference to explain his future policies.

Meanwhile, Ishiba plans to hold separate talks with CDP’s Noda and the president of the Democratic Party for the People, Tamaki Yuichiro, on Monday, following a meeting with the representative of the Japan Innovation Party, Baba Nobuyuki, on Sunday.

Ishiba intends to ask for their cooperation to implement various policies, including political reforms.