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Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba
The Yomiuri Shimbun
14:09 JST, November 12, 2024
The forming of the second Cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was marked by his defensive position, as the prime minister minimized the number of changes in Cabinet posts to three from his first Cabinet, replacing the two incumbents who lost their seats in the latest House of Representatives election.
Appointing new Cabinet members 40 days after forming his previous Cabinet increases the risk of new scandals arising, which would make it difficult for him to handle his administration.
Regarding the three posts Ishiba changed from his first Cabinet — the justice minister, the agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister and the land, infrastructure, transport and tourism minister — Ishiba prioritized giving consideration to heavyweights in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and to its coalition partner Komeito. There is no trace of Ishiba taking the initiative himself in the personnel matters.
New Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki, a former senior vice foreign minister, belongs to the LDP’s Aso faction. Ishiba said he appointed Suzuki because he is well-versed in policy matters, but many in the LDP think Ishiba gave consideration to Taro Aso, the top adviser of the LDP, who leads the only faction still existing within the party and has major influence. Ishiba’s aides laid the groundwork carefully with senior members of the faction ahead of Suzuki’s appointment.
New agriculture minister Taku Eto, who has previous experience in that post, is close to LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, who are known as part of the lawmaker “tribe” lobbying for agricultural organizations. It is believed that Ishiba accepted the wishes of Moriyama and others and appointed Eto as the agriculture minister because Ishiba believed Eto would provide stability as a former agriculture minister.
Komeito has monopolized the post of the land minister since December 2012. In response to previous land minister Tetsuo Saito becoming the party’s chief representative, Ishiba appointed Hiromasa Nakano to be the new land minister, offering no resistance to Komeito’s proposal of Nakano as Saito’s successor.
In an attempt to build party unity, Ishiba once considered appointing lawmakers from the former Abe faction who were not involved in the political funds scandal. The former faction was at the center of the scandal. However, in consideration of cautious views in the government and the LDP, Ishiba ultimately did not do so.
In the end, there was little room for Ishiba to appoint lawmakers as he intended. He complained to his aides about a situation in which he himself could not decide freely on personnel matters.
Under the current circumstances of the ruling parties lacking a majority, there is a possibility that if scandals or gaffes occur, a no-confidence motion submitted by opposition parties could be passed.
A veteran LDP lawmaker expressed concern, saying, “As the prime minister has yet to face scandals involving his Cabinet ministers, he may suffer from personnel matters from now on.”
