"Japan's Kishida Coordinates Appointment of Abe Ally Hagiuda as LDP Policy Research Council Chairman and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry"

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] On the 9th, NHK and other broadcasters reported that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is in the final stages of coordinating to appoint Koichi Hagiuda, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry and a close aide of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the chairman of the LDP Policy Research Council in the cabinet reshuffle and LDP executive personnel changes scheduled for the 10th.

The Policy Research Council chairman, a key position coordinating party policies, is currently held by Sanae Takaichi, a member of the House of Representatives. Although Takaichi is a pro-Abe figure, she does not belong to any faction within the LDP. During the LDP presidential election last September, she competed against Prime Minister Kishida with the support of former Prime Minister Abe and has been evaluated as representing Abe’s positions, such as increasing defense spending.

Koichi Hagiuda, considered Takaichi’s successor, belongs to the largest LDP faction, the "Abe faction," and was a close aide to former Prime Minister Abe. NHK assessed that "appointing Hagiuda as chairman of the Policy Research Council appears to be intended to facilitate smooth party-government coordination."

Among other LDP executives, Secretary-General Toshihiro Motegi and LDP Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Tsuyoshi Takagi are likely to be reappointed, while General Council Chairman Tatsuo Fukuda and Election Strategy Committee Chairman Toshiaki Endo are mentioned as candidates for replacement.

Among the ministers, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki, and Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Tetsuo Saito are expected to remain in their posts. Nobuo Kishi, Minister of Defense and younger brother of former Prime Minister Abe, is mentioned as a candidate for replacement.